


Happy Together

by crushondeanlikeafairy



Series: The Happy Saga [1]
Category: S.W.A.T. (TV 2017)
Genre: Abusive Relationship, Depression, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Mildly Dubious Consent, Nightmares, Psychotic Girlfriend, Sexism, Stalker, Street Needs a Hug, Street Whump, Suicidal Thoughts, Team Bonding, Team as Family, domestic abuse, possible triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-16 08:29:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 30,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18517714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crushondeanlikeafairy/pseuds/crushondeanlikeafairy
Summary: For the first time in his life, Street is in a serious, long-term relationship. Too bad she isn't the healthiest person to be around.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the song "Happy Together" by The Turtles. I always thought that song was kind of creepy, with the tempo and everything, and it fits the vibe for this story perfectly.
> 
> The chapters are kind of long, cause they're already all written. I kind of got this bug for a story and then I've been writing it for WEEKS. This is the longest I have ever worked straight on a fanfic. I've even done research! Although, disclaimer: there is some legal stuff and I cannot swear that it is completely accurate. I am, surprise surprise, not a lawyer. Anyway, enjoy the fruits of my labor!
> 
> PSA: Please read the tags. There are possible triggers in this fic. Nothing explicit and only briefly mentioned but I just want y'all to know.

The real world was a scary place. If anyone knew that, it was the officers working down in Metro S.W.A.T., the ones who faced the shit every day and came out the other side mostly unscathed. The world was ugly and broken and, quite frankly, a lot to deal with almost all of the time. But these officers were the few who stood up and told the world that it could relax because they’d clean it up. That was their job. It was what they signed up to do. And Jim Street loved it.

Having felt helpless for the first half of his life, it felt good to know that he was making a difference in the world. It didn’t always look like he was but whenever he looked into the grateful eyes of someone he and his team had just saved, he knew all that time and effort was worth it.

He had no problem putting himself in a literal line of fire to save some stranger or even had to run into a burning building every so often. None of that scared him. He could face it all, except for his new girlfriend.

Her name was Maya and she was, in all honesty, amazing. She was a librarian of all things, and he thought it said something about him calming down and maturing as he aged that he’d pick someone with a more laid back career. No more bartenders for him apparently. She had prominent cheekbones and her face narrowed down at her jawline, and she always kept her long chestnut hair curled to frame her cheeks just so. But anyone would hardly notice any of that as their eyes would be drawn to her own clear sky-blue ones. They were hidden beneath long dark lashes and perfectly arched brows. It felt to him like eyes he had only seen in movies and he was absolutely taken by them.

Maya was kind and giving, she only ever thought of others. Only concerned with how the people around her were feeling and never stopping to consider herself. She’d cut her lunch break short if a guest needed help finding a book and he had never seen her pass a homeless person on the street without dropping whatever cash she had in their tin. He watched her bring out the good in all her friends, never failing to turn a sour mood around or convince them that they weren’t as horrible as they thought they were.

She loved country music and hockey games. Her favorite movie was The Princess Bride and she adored hiking the local trails. But she wasn’t interested in cars and she hated surfing and she was clingy as all get out. They had practically nothing in common.

The longer their relationship went on, the more Street began to worry that he loved her. That wouldn’t necessarily bother him if not for the way she behaved sometimes. Sure, he was a little bit wary of long term commitment, but he had always hoped to find a nice girl and maybe one day, way-way down the road, settle down and have a family. It was possible that she could be the one, he supposed. After all, isn’t that the point of dating? When you’re in a relationship, you’re either going to be with them for the rest of your life or break up. It was bound to happen that one day, he’d find the one girl that he wouldn’t break up with. Part of him was just hoping that it wasn’t her.

 

It was 6:30 a.m. and Street had to get ready for work. He had spent the night at Maya’s house and was definitely not looking forward to Luca’s prodding when he got to work. He rushed to get dressed and was surprised to find Maya already having done the same when he entered her living room.

“What are you doing up so early?” he asked as he made his way into the kitchen to grab a glass from the cupboard.

“Well, good morning to you too,” she laughed from the stove, shifting eggs around on a pan with her spatula.

“I didn’t mean-” he started, stopping and smiling at her when she looked up at him, “Good morning.”

“Thank you, Jimmy,” she answered, turning back to her task.

“Maya, can you please stop calling me that?” he asked for what felt like the hundredth time since their relationship began.

“What else am I supposed to call you, silly?” she asked, smiling at him cheekily, “Jim makes you sound like an old man and James is way too formal. That only leaves Jimmy.”

“Jimmy makes me sound like a little boy,” he returned.

“Please, we both know that you aren’t. Just roll with it, hun,” she said sweetly, returning her attention to the egg, signaling that the conversation was over.

He didn’t have a problem with the name in and of itself but when she said that she sounded like his mother. Forgetting the fact that he wasn’t on speaking terms with his mom at the moment, there were already so many little things that Maya did that reminded him of her and not in a good way. Not to mention, his girlfriend was definitely  _ not  _ somebody he ever wanted to associate with his mom. That was a whole new area of weird.

“You’re not normally up this early,” he commented in the hopes of ending that train of thought before it could even leave the station. He stepped toward her and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She leaned into him slightly.

“I wanted to make you breakfast before you left,” she said, gesturing at the eggs.

“That’s very sweet of you, Maya, but I’m running late. I was just going to grab a protein bar and head out.”

He moved to the fridge to fill his glass with water when he heard a clang as she dropped the spatula on the counter. Street turned to look at her and saw her facing him, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Really? I woke up early to do something special for you and you don’t even want to eat it?”

Looking into her sad eyes shone under the kitchen lights and he felt guilty all of a sudden. He couldn’t stand to think that his poor time management had upset her even a little.

“I appreciate it,” he assured her, setting the glass down to move toward her and rest his hands on her shoulders, “I’m sorry. I can take it to go if it means that much to you. I accidentally slept in too long and I really can’t be late to work. I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”

She pouted for a moment, looking down at her feet as she scuffed one back and forth against the tile floor. Finally, she smiled and met his gaze.

“Anything?”

“Of course,” he smiled back, “Anything.”

“Oh, okay,” she conceded, uncurling her arms to wrap them around him, “Let me pack them up so you can have them for lunch then.”

Street let go when she moved to step back and let her continue her task as he finished off his glass of water and left to pack up his things. When he came back into the living room, she was waiting for him with a plastic container. He smiled and took it when she held it out, putting in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Text me when you get to work safe,” she said softly, grabbing one of his hands in both her own and swaying back and forth slightly.

“Maya,” he laughed, “It’s a fifteen-minute drive.”

“And I want to know you’re safe. Is that really too much to ask?” she responded, looking up at him under her lashes.

“No, it’s not,” he conceded.

“Thank you,” she answered, playing with his fingers as she spoke, “And call me when you get off work so I know what time you’ll be over.”

“I don’t know if I can tonight. I promised Luca we’d go bowling and-”

“But… you said you’d make it up to me,” she insisted, pulling him closer, “You said anything. You promised.”

He regarded her for a moment, taking in her pleading eyes and her pouting lips and couldn’t hold out. He let her pull him into an embrace and he wrapped his arms around her.

“It’s okay. I’ll just tell Luca we can go another night.”

She let go of him then, stepping back and taking a small jump into the air as she squealed and clapped excitedly, “Yay! I can’t wait. Go, go. Have fun at work! Kick some bad guy ass!”

He laughed slightly, but he couldn’t help noticing the bad feeling settling in his gut. Her behavior set him on edge sometimes, her emotions swinging from one place to the next with no warning. Street knew he was just being paranoid though. She was a sweet girl and he was no doubt just getting cold feet from being together too long. It would pass if he stuck this out. He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before he headed out the door.

 

Once at the precinct, Street tried to sneak to his locker without running into any of his teammates. Particularly, Luca. He knew that if Luca was there then he’d make a fuss about where Street was last night and then Tan would no doubt need the details and he just wasn’t ready yet to tell his friends about Maya.

He made it to his locker without incident and was just about to turn the combo lock to the last number when a hand clapped on his shoulder.

“You didn’t come home last night,” Luca said, pushing Street forward gently before moving over to his own locker.

Street laughed slightly, hoping to play it off, “Yea, I got busy.”

“Busy three nights in a row?” Luca goaded, “What’s her name?”

“Street’s got a girlfriend?” Tan asked as he entered the room, grinning ear to ear. He could act surprised all he wanted, but Street knew that he and Luca had been gossiping the first night that he had slept over at Maya’s.

“I wouldn’t say girlfriend…” he started to explain.

“No, of course,  _ you _ wouldn’t,” Luca interrupted, getting his gear ready as he spoke, “But if my math is correct, you’ve been seeing this girl for what… two months? Girlfriend.”

“Two months?!” Tan asked, feigning surprise, “You getting ready to put a ring on her finger?”

Street couldn’t help but scoff, “Oh, hell no.”

“What?” Tan asked, “You and Luca were totally fine trying to trick me and Bonnie into getting married, but the notion of you doing the same is too much?”

“Hey, wanting you to get married and me doing the same are two entirely different things.”

“You afraid of commitment?” Luca asked, pausing to lean on his locker door and look at his friend.

“It’s more of an allergy,” Street joked, reaching over to shove Luca playfully before turning back to his locker.

“That’s attractive,” Chris said and everyone turned to look at her as she came in, “Be sure to tell your girlfriend that next time you see her.”

“Come on, guys,” Street pleaded, “Can we please drop the girlfriend stuff? I’m not even sure I want to keep seeing her.”

“Of course not,” Deacon commented as he walked in the other side of the room with Hondo, “Luca tells me you’ve been dating her for two months. That’s right around the time when you get skittish and leave.”

“Thanks, Deac. It’s actually not about that this time. I just really don’t think it’s going to work out.”

“You’re just mad cause he’s right,” Hondo laughed, “Come on, kid. You never stick with a girl long enough to get to know her for real. Why don’t you try finding out who she is as a person, instead of as a booty call, and you might just get somewhere.”

Street couldn’t help but roll his eyes and the conversation ended there as the team got ready for work. As they were leaving the locker room, he pulled Luca back.

“Hey, man. Speaking of the girl. I can’t come to bowling tonight.”

“What? Dude, we’re already behind on our Doom campaign cause you’ve been gone all week and now you’re bailing on bowling night?” Luca asked, “She must really be special. You’ve never ditched any of us for a girl before.”

“I know, I’m sorry. She was just upset this morning and I told her we could go out tonight to cheer her up.”

“Alright, well you’re gonna have to cheer me up now,” Luca joked, “You owe me a beer.”

Street laughed, clapping Luca on the back, “Deal. Now let’s get to work.”

 

The day was a long and slow one. Apparently, Thursdays were not crime-heavy days and the team mostly used their time for training. In the between moments, Street contemplated what his team had said. He did have a tendency to ditch a relationship right when things were getting serious. And maybe this time that nervous feeling he was getting felt different than before, like that he really should be getting while the getting’s good this time. But he also couldn’t help but think that maybe he should listen to his friend’s and just give Maya a chance. Maybe she wasn’t as bad as he thought she was.

When he got off work, he rode his bike back to Maya’s apartment. He decided it would be prudent to get her some flowers to hopefully take her mind off this morning. He wasn’t really sure what he did wrong by not having the time to eat breakfast at home and so he didn’t really know how he was supposed to fix it, but he figured flowers couldn’t hurt. He got her purple peonies because he thought he remembered her saying once that they were her favorite.

Once he reached her apartment building, he parked his bike on the curb and hopped up the stairs two at a time. He knocked on her door, a big grin on his face as she opened it, proud of the little offering he had brought. But his face fell when he saw the upset look on hers. She stepped back from the doorway, crossing her arms and cocking her head to the side.

“What did I do now?” he asked.

“Oh, that’s how you greet me, Jimmy?” she tossed back.

“Maya, I’ve asked you not to call me that,” he said, sighing and deciding it was topic better saved for a later date when she simply stared at him, “I’m not really sure what else I’m supposed to do when you open the door like that.”

“So I can’t be upset now?” Maya demanded.

“I didn’t say-” he tried defending.

“You didn’t text me. You promised me that you would so that I wouldn’t worry and you didn’t. You promised you’d call me so I would know when to expect you. And you didn’t.”

“I guess I was so focused on surprising you with the flowers that I forgot. I’m so-”

“Don’t bother apologizing,” she said, stepping back from the door and moving into her apartment, “Apparently your words don’t mean anything anyway.”

“Maya,” he pleaded, following her inside and shutting the door behind him, “I just got distracted, that’s all. I didn’t intentionally forget.”

He set the flowers down on the coffee table. She stopped in the center of the living room, turning to face him. Maya had changed out of her business attire for the day and into dark-wash skinny jeans and a paisley button-up shirt. She tugged on the bottom of it to straighten it out then crossed her arms once more.

“You were supposed to be making this morning up to me tonight and instead you’ve just upset me more.”

Street crossed the room to her, reaching forward and threading his fingers through her hair just behind her ears, cupping her face.

“What can I do?” he asked sincerely, but deep down he couldn’t help thinking,  _ this isn’t right. _

He didn’t remember her being this needy when he’d first met her. He can’t imagine that he’d have stuck around for very long if she had been. Maya had been kind and forgiving. But somewhere along the line, she’d turned into this other woman he saw standing in front of him. Everything he did was wrong and she was upset with him all the time. Their relationship had turned into him “making it up to her” for his perceived wrongdoings and it was exhausting. A small voice in the back of his head insisted that this wasn’t healthy, but he could barely hear it because there was an even louder voice telling him to give her a chance. If she changed once, she could do it again. Maybe their relationship getting more serious was making her nervous too and she was just trying to navigate it as best she could.

Maya regarded him for a moment, her soft eyes taking in his own apologetic ones and she must have decided he was genuine because after a moment she sighed and looked down, bring her arms up and wrapping them around his neck.

“I just… I feel like we’re getting more serious but you don’t want that.”

“Of course I do,” he answered automatically.

“Well, my girlfriends all seemed so much closer to their boyfriends after two months than we are now. I feel like I don’t know anything about you. And you never call me when you’re at work just to talk to me. And you didn’t want to go to that Luke Bryon concert with me…”

“Maya,” he placated, “That’s just cause I don’t like country.”

“Well, their boyfriends do stuff they don’t like all the time because they just want to spend time with them. And you won’t do the same for me,” she pouted.

“I’ll go to the concert if it’s that important to you. I didn’t realize that it was.”

“It’s not about the concert,” she explained, “I just wish we were closer. I feel like we’re at the point where we should be closer.”

Street smiled softly at her, leaning in and kissing her lips, “Is this close enough?”

She laughed, her breath brushing against his face, “Not like that.”

“How about this?” he asked, leaning down to kiss her jaw and then her neck. He lowered his hands from her face to wrap them around her back and pull her closer.

“Well, that’s a little better.”

Their conversation was interrupted as it appeared his distraction had worked. The pair ended up in her bed and before long she wasn’t upset with him anymore. When they were finished, they lay tangled together under the covers with her snuggled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He was on his back, his left arm wrapped around her to hold her close. He felt soft puffs of hair hit his chest as she breathed. Eventually, Maya lifted her head and looked up at him.

“Tell me something you’ve never told any of your girlfriends before,” she whispered.

“What?” he asked, tilting his head so he could see her face.

“So I know this is real,” she explained, “Tell me something you’ve never told any of your girlfriends.”

Street looked back up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment and trying to decide if she was asking for too much. Vulnerability was never his strong suit. This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid and he berated himself as he thought. He should’ve known he would’ve only been able to hold her off for a little while. Part of him said this was a bad idea and yet part of him insisted that he could trust her.

“Okay,” he started, “But promise me you won’t tell any of your friends or anyone.”

“Jimmy,” she swore, “Of course I won’t.”

“So… remember when you wanted to meet my parents and you got upset because I said that I didn’t want you to?”

“Yes of course. We had quite the argument,” she answered, reaching up to play with his hair.”

“Well, it’s not that I didn’t want you to. You can’t. Because I grew up in foster care.”

“Oh, Jimmy,” she cried, placing her palm on his cheek and scooting up for just a moment to kiss his cheek, “I’m so sorry.”

He laughed a little, “It’s okay. Now that I’m thinking about it… that’s when I normally end it with girls. When they want to meet my family. I don’t have one and I don’t like having to admit it. I’ve never really told anyone that voluntarily.”

“Aaaw,” she said sweetly, “I’m special?”

“Of course you’re special,” he answered, returning her smile as he looked down at her.

She was quiet for a moment, drawing shapes on his chest with one of her manicured fingers. Just when he was beginning to think that the sharing and caring had ended and that he was free to simply drift off to sleep, she spoke again.

“Why were you in foster care?” she murmured, keeping her voice low as if she thought the volume would be less likely to upset him.

“Maya-”

“No, it’s okay if you don’t want to tell me,” she conceded, but he could tell by her tone that it really wasn’t, “I understand. I’m important to you, just not  _ that _ important. I get it.”

He sighed, staring up at the ceiling. He decided that if he just told her and appeased her, maybe she’d finally drop it and he could get to sleep and forget this conversation ever happened.

“My dad, he, uh… was a very unhappy man and he liked to take it out on my mom and me. The-”

“He beat you?” she asked innocently. The question caught him off guard, and he jerked his head down to stare at her, a look of surprise plastered on his face. Maya merely shrugged like she didn’t think it was an odd thing to ask.

“Um… yea. Well, nobody ever did anything. Our neighbors knew but they didn’t help. My mom called the cops what must have been a dozen times and they never stopped him. And one day she decided she’d had enough and she killed him. She got sent to prison and I got sent to a group home.”

“I see,” she said thoughtfully, “So your mom’s alive, but in jail?”

“Yea,” he answered. He decided not to tell her that his mother was in fact out on parole. She had been missing for a few weeks now and even if she wasn’t, they hadn’t been on speaking terms for months before that. He decided to just let sleeping dogs lie and give Maya the easy answer

“I’m sorry, that sounds awful,” Maya whispered against his shoulder, “Thank you for telling me. It feels good to open up, huh?

He hummed noncommittally and leaned down to kiss her hair gently before reaching over to shut off the lamp. The room was plunged into darkness and he reached down to tug the sheet up higher to cover them better.

“Good night, Maya,” he said to the room.

“I love you, Jimmy,” she answered back.

_ Well, that was a loaded goodnight, _ he thought. He wasn’t sure how to respond, but he knew he had to act quickly. If he hesitated, she’d notice. The truth was, he wasn’t sure what he felt for her yet. Just this morning he was thinking of breaking up with her. And yet here he was, pouring his heart out to her like he never had to a girl before. He must feel differently about her than he did about the other women he’s dated in the past.

“I love you too,” he said finally, hoping he hadn’t taken too long.

If he had, she didn’t say anything, simply hugging him tight and drifting to sleep. He let out a breathe, confident he had passed the test.

 

Three months later, Street was spending more time at Maya’s apartment than at the home he shared with Luca. He had moved in a few of his things at her insistence. She had said that after almost half a year of dating, they should make things more official. The top drawer of her dresser had been cleared for him and he had a toothbrush that he left there.

He never did get the chance to make that bowling night up to Luca. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t really had the time to do much with any of his friends lately and he hadn’t seen any of his teammates outside of work in over a month. Maya preferred it when he came straight home after work, proclaiming that she spent most of her own day concerned for his safety and that she just wanted to see him to know that he was okay. Tan liked to joke about a short leash but Street saw the worried looks on Chris’ face whenever the topic came up. He kept meaning to ask her about it, but it never came up. If he was being honest with himself, he was avoiding it. A part of him was worried that she’d only confirm his own concerns: that his relationship with Maya wasn’t a healthy own.

He was wrong, he knew that. Sure, Maya could be a bit overbearing, but it was just because she cared about him and he had a dangerous job. He understood that and he could deal with it, that was what you did for the people you love. Chris was worried but that was because she couldn’t understand. She was on the outside. She hadn’t even met Maya, how could she understand that everything Maya did was only out of love.

“Hey, Jimmy!” Maya’s voice rang from the bedroom.

He was in the bathroom brushing his teeth, pausing to shout back around a mouthful of toothpaste, “Yea, babe?”

“Do you have Jake’s phone number? I just accidentally deleted it.”

Jake was one of her coworkers from the library. Street had met him and a few of her other friends a couple of times. They had the time to see her friends, but not his it seems.

“Uh, yea. I think so. I’ll check my phone when I’m done in here.”

“That’s alright, hun,” Maya shouted back, “I’ll get it. What’s your password?”

He leaned forward and spit into the sink, picking up his glass of water to rinse his mouth. He turned around and head back out into the bedroom, leaning on the doorway. Maya was laying on her back on the bed, her legs dangling off the edge as she kicked them up and down. She had his phone in her hands, pressed against her chest as she turned her head to look at him.

“Here,” he held his hand out it, “I can open it.”

She pressed the phone closer against her, regarding him warily, “You don’t trust me?”

“What?” he asked, surprised, “Of course, I trust you. Why-”

“Why don't you just tell me your password then?” she responded, tears welling in her eyes.

“Maya, it’s my password,” he tried explaining but he was hardly able to get the sentence out before she interrupted him.

She sat up quickly, setting the phone down beside her on the bed, “All of my friends know their boyfriend’s passwords. They trust each other. Why are you hiding things from me?”

“Maya, I’m not,” he insisted, sitting beside her and reaching to wrap an arm around her shoulder but she leaned away.

“Well, it feels like you are when you’re acting all shady. How do I know you’re not when you get so upset over a simple password?” she said, turning her head to look at him, “I need to feel like I can trust you, Jimmy.”

The situation was confusing to him. He didn’t feel like he was the one who was acting upset here, but he supposed it didn’t matter. Regardless of his feelings on the matter, he had upset  _ her. _ It was because of him that there was the beginning of tears in her eyes now.

He sighed, grabbing his phone and pressing it into her hands, “I’m sorry. I just have trouble letting people in.”

She stared down at the phone in her hands, rubbing her thumb on the screen. She sniffled, “I know.”

“If it’ll make you feel more secure in our relationship, I’ll tell you.”

Maya looked up at him, an excited look plastered across her face, “Really?!”

He forced a smile, nodding, “Of course.”

 

Maya trusting him was all well and good, but on his end things only got worse. The password thing tickled at the back of his mind. She hadn’t offered up hers. The open honesty thing obviously wasn’t so important that she be pushed out of her own comfort zone. He had nearly forgotten about it until he came into the kitchen one morning to find her scrolling through it. She had at least had the decency to look ashamed when he’d asked what she was doing, but he knew her words were lies when she explained that she was simply trying to figure out if his phone was better than hers.

“I’m thinking of switching brands,” she said, setting his phone down on the table and rising from her seat, “I’m getting a little tired of the same old features on mine.”

After she’d disappeared into the bedroom to get dressed, he’d picked up the phone and found his text messages open. He had no way of knowing which ones she’d read. Just the night before, Street had been letting off steam to Chris, asking for her advice in dealing with Maya. She had suggested maybe pulling back a bit, that they had rushed into things too soon. And now Maya had possibly seen the conversation. Another girl telling him that he should dump her. There was no way that could look good. He deleted the messages and made a note to himself to censor his messages from now on.

He figured that he would know soon whether or not she had seen them, but he didn’t have time to worry about it now. Street had to get to work before he was late. Just because his probation had ended didn’t mean he could start slacking off.

“I’ve got to get going, Maya,” he called, starting for the door.

She came running back out of the bedroom to wrap him in a hug, “Have a good day. I’ll see you tonight.”

“About that,” he said, “The team was planning on grabbing a few drinks tonight and I was thinking of going.”

She let go of him, stepping back to look him in the eye, “You… what?”

“I mean, I haven’t seen them in a while and-”

She scoffed, “You see them every day.”

“I meant outside of work, Maya” he tried.

She was quiet for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest, “Fine. I’m coming too.”

“Wait-”  
“I haven’t gotten a chance to meet them yet,” she explained, “And I need to make sure you’re actually meeting them.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, trying to keep the offended tone from his voice.

“I happened to see the texts you were sending to that Chris girl, and-”

“You happened to,” he laughed, “You mean you were looking through them.”

“Do you have something you want to say to me?”

He sighed, reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose, “Not right now. I have to get to work. I’m going out with the team tonight.”

“And I’m coming with you,” she repeated, moving to block his path as he headed for the door, “You are already telling her all kinds of awful things about me. How do I know you’re not also seeing her behind my back? Or any other woman for that matter? How do I know this isn’t some lie so you can sneak away and-”  
“Oh, like I’ve had the time to do anything not involving you, let alone have another girlfriend!” he said loudly, reigning himself in before he could get to shouting.

“You work with her. You spend more time with her than you do me,” Maya accused, “And you talk to her about  _ me _ behind my back. Saying those awful things!”

“She’s my best friend!” Street insisted, “I’m not-”

“ _ I  _  am supposed to be your best friend. Isn’t that how strong relationships work?”

“I can have friends outside of you!”

“Yes,” she agreed, suddenly the picture of calm, “And if she really is just your _friend_ then you won’t mind me tagging along tonight. Text me when you’re off work so I can get ready. Have a nice day, sweetie.”  
She stepped up onto her tiptoes to kiss him swiftly on the lips, then patted his cheek before disappearing into the bedroom once more to get dressed for her own job. He stood there staring at the front door for a moment in shock, her mood swings giving him whiplash.

_ I guess they’re finally meeting Maya, _ he thought as he headed out the door.

 

“Morning, Street,” Hondo greeted as he entered the control room, “Glad to see you could finally make it.”

“I’m not late, am I?” Street asked.

Tan laughed, “Not yet, but you’re damn close. We started placing bets.”

Street sighed, punching Tan lightly in the shoulder.

“I won,” Chris said, then gestured to Tan and Luca, “They both owe me a round of drinks tonight.”

“Oh, yea. You coming tonight, man?” Luca asked, looking to his friend expectantly, “I hate to admit it, but I’ve missed my roomie.”

“Uh, actually, about that…” he started, rubbing his hands together in front of him to burn off nervous energy.

“Dude, don’t say you’re skipping out again. We’re all going,” Tan said, “Even Deac. He has the rare night off.”

“Yea,” Deac agreed, “I can’t stay too late but I should be able to stop by.”

“No, I can come,” Street explained, “Just, Maya was wondering if she could tag along. She wants to meet you guys.”

“Hell yeah!” Luca exclaimed, clapping Street on the back, “We’re finally gonna meet your girl? You’ve been hiding her for too long!”  
“She won’t let you go just one night without her?” Chris asked nonchalantly.

“It’s not that,” Street insisted, shooting her a warning look to not give away too much to the team, “Ya know, she wants to meet my coworkers. That’s not weird.”

“It’s a team outing, not a family thing. So, it’s a little weird,” Chris said, clearly not getting the message.

He hadn’t gone into details when he spoke to Chris about Maya. Mostly just explaining that she got upset when he wanted to spend time with other people.  It had come up when she had asked if he wanted to go hiking this weekend and he had to explain that he probably wouldn’t be able to make it, again. He hadn’t told her that he believed he was in love. Or about her mood swings. And he certainly hadn’t mentioned the whole cell phone thing. But Chris had taken that one little thing and ran with it and now she was on the warpath regarding Maya.

“You sound jealous,” Luca joked, “Are you… jeaaaaalous, Chris?”

“Of course not,!” she insisted, giving Luca the angry eyes she usually harbored for criminals, “I just think it’s weird. End of story.”

“Alright,” Hondo laughed, “Enough, come on. We got work to do.”

Once they finished their briefing, they broke to go grab their gear and meet at Black Betty, but Street was stopped when a hand grabbed onto his elbow. He turned around and there was Chris, concern etched into her face.

“Is everything really alright with this girl?” Chris asked earnestly, looking to him expectantly.

“Yes,” he laughed, “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Just… some of the things you said to  me last night-”  
“Hey, Chris,” he interrupted, “I’m sorry if I upset you or if I said something that would make you feel like you need to worry. That was just me being a frustrated man blowing off some steam about his girlfriend. You know how it is.”

She looked to him in disbelief, “You straight up told me that she is the reason you keep ditching plans with me. With all of us. Because she doesn’t like you spending time with other people. That’s serious!”

“I was exaggerating-”

“Really? Because that makes these last few months so much clearer.”

He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself down, “Look, Chris, if me talking to you about my problems with Maya is going to make you act like this, then I’ll stop. Okay?”

“That is not what I am saying,” Chris tried, “I just want you to be okay.”

“I am,” he insisted, looking her dead in the eye, “I promise.”

“Hey!” a shout came and they both jumped, turning to see Deacon standing in the doorway, “Get it into gear, come on!”

Nodding in agreement, Chris shot Street one last worried look before they obeyed and ran to get ready.

 

The team got off work just after sunset and Street had been dreading it all day. It upset him to think that a night he had been previously looking forward to had been taken away from him simply because his girlfriend was insecure. But Luca and Tan had been ribbing him all day about finally getting to meet Maya and Chris had remained in a dour mood, no doubt thinking up ways to get him to see reason. That combined with the fact that Maya seemed to think he was sleeping with Chris all added up to give Street a sinking feeling that tonight was going to be a disaster.

He really didn’t want to go anymore. But there were so many reasons he just couldn’t back out. He wanted to spend some downtime with his friends, outside of the life or death situations they dealt with together every day. He had to show Chris that he and Maya were good together, to get her to stop worrying so much. And, most importantly, if he backed out now, it would only give Maya more fuel to believe he was sneaking around behind her back. He could hear it now.

“You are sleeping with that girl!” she’d say, “Why else would you have canceled? You don’t want her seeing me!”

He couldn’t let her believe that. While he disagreed with Chris that the relationship he was building with Maya was ‘unhealthy’, it could be stressful sometimes and he didn’t want to fan the flames.

They all agreed to meet at a bar called The Drunken Monkey, each choosing to take their own vehicles so they wouldn’t have to all come back to the station afterward. They weren’t planning on drinking enough that it wouldn’t be safe to drive themselves. Street had to stop off to pick up Maya, the pair deciding to take her car rather than his bike. She didn’t like motorcycles, citing them as loud and dangerous and definitely  _ not  _ the kind of image she wanted her boyfriend to have.

When he arrived at the apartment, she was already dressed in a lilac sundress that hugged her torso to show off her curves but opened up at the waist into a free-flowing skirt. It was made up of two layers, the first having holes in the shape of flowers cut out, and a braided section ran across the midriff to show her skin underneath.

She was in a chipper mood, or at least she was pretending to be, as she hummed along to the music she had playing while she did her makeup. In the grand scheme of things, they hadn’t been together long, but it had been long enough for him to know when her moods were real or false. And tonight, it was as fake as could be, a carefully crafted mask put up to hide her true intentions. But he knew from experience that that mask was brittle and if he made one wrong move, the facade would fall.

“You look gorgeous,” he said by way of greeting, standing in the doorway to the bedroom.

Maya smiled from where she sat at her vanity table, her eyes meeting his in the mirror, “Thank you, baby. But I’m not finished yet.”

“You don’t need to be finished. You’re always gorgeous.”

“Aw,” she said, returning her attention to her lipsticks as she contemplated which one to choose. She ended up picking a nude color to match her dress and carefully applied it. When she was done, she rose from her chair and flattened out her skirt, turning to him excitedly, “What do you think?”

“I love it,” he smiled, hoping his own facade held up. He had to admit, she was better at it then he was. She really did look beautiful, but it didn’t improve his outlook on the evening ahead of him.

Maya tilted her head, swiftly crossing the room to him, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck, “What’s the matter, Jimmy?”

He sighed, leaning his head back, “I’m just tired, Maya. It was a long day at work.”

Street lifted his head to look at her again, and she was smiling sympathetically at him.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “We’ll go out, do the obligatory meet and greets and then we’ll come home and relax.”

“I was hoping to actually be able to spend time with my friends,” he said slowly.

“Oh, baby,” she responded softly, a tired tone creeping into her voice, “I’m exhausted too. The library was packed today. I don’t think I have it in me to stay out long.”

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. It was your idea.”

“Jimmy,” she warned, “I am not having this discussion with you again. Now let’s go, your friends must be wondering what’s taking so long.”

Maya went into the living room, stepped into her sandals and grabbed her bag. She looked over her shoulder and held out her hand, looking to him expectantly. He took the cue and rushed across the room to grab onto her hand and they headed out into the hallway.

_ This is going to be a long night, _ he thought.

 

When they arrived at the bar it was nearly empty, only having two other groups inside. Street couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. He had kind of been hoping that it would have been too loud inside for him to hear how much of a disaster the evening was going to be.

The team had picked a table in the center of the room, one of those tall ones that everyone was meant to stand around. He appreciated that at least. A quick exit in the event of Maya-emergency would be much easier now. He hadn’t even said hello yet and he was already thinking about leaving. He felt like a dick.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his friends. He really did. Luca may have been annoying when they first started living together but he found himself missing his roomie now. And he hadn’t had a  _ real _ conversation with Chris in what felt like forever. Not to mention everyone else. He got to see them every day at work but it didn’t feel like enough and he didn’t get why Maya couldn’t understand that. If anything, her inane cocktail parties that she dragged him along to with her friends from work should prove that she knew exactly what it meant.

Tan spotted them and waved his hand in the air to draw their attention. Street waved back, plastering a smile on his face, and gently placed his hand on Maya’s back to direct her toward them.

Luca broke away from the group to meet them before they could reach the table, practically beaming at Maya. He reached out to shake her hand.

“You must be Maya!” he greeted, “It’s amazing to finally meet the girl who stole Street’s heart. I’m Luca.”

“Oh, Luca,” she said, returning the smile, “I’ve heard so much about you! You seem quite charming actually, not at all like Jimmy described you.”

“I, uh-” Luca started, giving his friend a confused look, at the same time as Street said, “I didn’t say anything bad about him.”

“Did I say it was something bad?” she asked innocently, shrugging slightly.

“Maya, what did I-” he tried again.

“We’ll discuss it later, dear,” Maya said sweetly, heading toward the table, “I want to meet your friends.”

“Dude,” Luca said once she had gone, keeping his voice low, “What have you been saying about me?”

“Nothing!” Street insisted, “I really don’t know where that came from.”

Luca nodded, but he still looked upset and Street was worried that it was going to be a while until Luca either believed him or simply forgot about the incident. He stepped closer to his friend, patting him on the back and heading over to join the others. Maya had already introduced herself to everybody and from the looks on everyone’s faces, she hadn’t said anything else that could stir up trouble. At least not yet.

“Nice girl you got here, Street,” Tan greeted as he and Luca joined them, “She’s pretty funny too.”

“Oh, stop it,” Maya fawned, pressing a hand to her chest, “I thrive in a crowd, that’s all.”

“Then how come you haven’t been able to come to any of our get-togethers?” Chris asked, “We would have loved to meet you sooner.”

It was a close one, but Street would admit that Chris was damn good at playing the innocent and uninteresting. She genuinely seemed just curious. But it was a thin line between that and Maya catching on and he was not interested in toeing it.

“I kept asking to, but Jimmy kept insisting that he didn’t want to go. I don’t know why,” she pondered, then looked to him with a questioning smile on her face. Daring him to explain.

He’d either have to come up with a damn good explanation for what she just said, or be honest and reveal to his entire team that he and Maya were not as happy as they pretended to be. When he looked away from her face and up at the others, there were varying upset faces being sent his way. Luca and Tan looked offended and shocked, and he instantly knew that damage control would have to be made with them later. Away from Maya. Hondo and Deac were starting to look suspicious and Street honestly didn’t know which was worse. Chris simply tilted her head to the side as she crossed her arms, giving him a knowing look as she cocked one eyebrow up. If he did manage to get through tonight with all of his relationships intact, she’d remember this and he’d be getting an earful about it.

“No, Maya,” he said gently, hoping he passed the part of well, “I said I didn’t think  _ you’d _ want to go. Because you wouldn’t have known anybody there and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Maya smiled at him, “I remember. Always thinking of me.”

He held back the sigh that almost left him. He could show any signs of unease, his team would pick up on it immediately and he didn’t want them to worry about anything. The crisis was temporarily averted and he’d take that victory.

Hondo cleared his throat, drawing the couple’s attention back to the group, “I’m going to go get everybody’s drinks. Street, can you help me?”

“Yea, of course,” he answered readily, scurrying after his boss as they made their way up to the bar.

Hondo leaned against the counter, relaying the order to the bartender, before fixing Street with a level look, “What the hell was that?”

Street laughed, albeit nervously, as he tried to decide on how he was going to play this. Dumb or half-truths?

“That was nothing, man. She just gets nervous in big groups and she forgot. That’s all.”

Dumb it was.

Hondo regarded him for a second, and Street could practically see the gears turning as he carefully framed his words, “Why doesn’t your girlfriend want you to see us outside of work?”

“What?” Street asked slowly in a last ditch effort to cover, though he already knew that Hondo had figured it out.

“Come on, kid,” Hondo said, “I know you haven’t been ditching us for the last few months for the reason she says and I know for a fact that you weren’t telling the truth either. So spill it. Why is she coming in here and cooking up all these lies?”

“I think she’s just nervous about meeting ever-”

“Really? Cause it seems to me like she’s trying to start something.”

Street stopped in his sentence, looking at Hondo in disbelief, “How can you say that about her? You don’t even know her!”

“See that right there? We’ve had this conversation before,” Hondo said, continuing on when Street looked at him confused, “About your mom. She was pulling shit a lot like this and you and I had this same discussion probably a dozen times until you let her get you into trouble.”

Street laughed, “Maya is not my mom, okay? That is insan-”

“Kid, I know you’re not this naive,” Hondo tried, “Ever since you’ve been seeing her you haven’t been able to hang with us outside of work and I’m willing to put money on it being that she doesn’t want you to. She comes in here, saying all this stuff engineered to make us upset with  _ you. _ This isn’t looking good.”

“God, you sound Chris,” Street scoffed, tapping his palm against the flat top of the counter.

“Chris is concerned too and you’re still with this girl?”

“She gets worried-”

“It’s Chris,” Hondo reminded him, “She doesn’t get worried unless there is  _ actually _ trouble. You know that.”

The drinks were set down on the counter, Hondo paid, and they picked up the trays to bring them back to the group. Street had no idea what had happened while they’d been gone but when they returned was a tense mood around the table and Chris was gone.

“I brought the fun,” Hondo greeted everyone, “Where’s Chris?”

“She, uh…” Luca answered apprehensively, looking over his shoulder, “Had to use the restroom.”

“Is she okay?” Hondo asked, taking in the faces of the group.

Deacon was ready to answer, and Street knew it would be the truth. Maya’s charms didn’t work on him it seemed and Street was eager to hear it. But Maya must have gotten the same impression because she interrupted with a dramatic sigh and leaned onto Street’s shoulder.

“Oh, Jimmy,” she gasped, “I don’t feel so good. Can we go home now?”

“We just got here,” he whispered, trying to keep his frustration from his voice.

“I can’t really help it if I’m sick, Jimmy,” she insisted, “Maybe you shouldn’t have given me food poisoning with that awful pasta you made.”

She stared him down for a moment, another challenge. He hadn’t cooked her pasta. In fact, he hadn’t cooked anything for her in well over a month. He knew what game she was playing. Embarrass him through admitting he was an awful cook or embarrass him when he called her out for lying. He knew exactly  _ what  _ she was doing, the only thing he didn’t understand was  _ why. _ He also knew that he wasn’t going to play. Not here in front of his friends.

“Ok,” he nodded, “Let’s go.”

Street grabbed her elbow and turned to steer her away from the table.

“You’re not gonna say bye to Chris?” Tan asked as they walked away.

Street looked back over his shoulder, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

The pair crossed the bar and headed out the door. As soon as they were safely out of the team’s sight, he stopped them in their tracks, spinning Maya around where he still held her elbow so she’d look at him.

“What did you to them?” he demanded harshly, “What did you say to Chris?”

“I didn’t say anything, Jimmy-” she tried with her innocent tone, her voice rising an octave.

“No, don’t try that shit,” he said angrily, “You keep me from my friends for months and I finally get to see them and the whole time you’re just trying to pick a fight!”

Maya had tears welling up in her eyes now, raising a had to daintily wipe one away, “I didn’t want to go. You drag me alo-”

“You insisted on going!” he shouted, pushing her a few steps when a passing bystander looked at them funny.

“But I didn’t want to. I couldn’t let you go alone.”

Street laughed humorlessly, throwing his hands up in disbelief, “Next time, you’re not coming. And yes, there will be a next time. I’m not letting you keep me from them anymore.”

“Street?”

He turned around to see Chris standing a few feet away, looking uncertain about whether or not she could approach. He waved to her to let her know he’d be right there.

“Maya, get in the car,” he said quietly, “I’ll meet you there in a minute.”

He started to move toward his friend but Maya rushed forward and grabbed onto his arm, “Jimmy, don’t you dar-”

“I said get in the car!” he answered, louder this time. She looked startled and took a quick step back, but that moment of weakness was quickly overtaken by anger. She stomped her foot like a petulant child and then turned and walked stiffly to the parking lot.

“Is everything okay?”

Street turned back around and Chris was standing right behind him now. She didn’t look too upset, so he assumed whatever Maya had said hadn’t been too bad. She looked more concerned than anything else.

“Uh, yea,” he said, waving in Maya’s direction dismissively, “Food poisoning. You know how it is.”

“Is that why she called me a whore?” Chris asked.

“She did what?!” he countered, shocked Maya would be so bold as to say that in front of everybody.

“More or less,” Chris shrugged, “She asked if I was in a relationship. I told her about Ty and Kira and she said she thought polygamy is only something street whores did.”

Street sighed, bringing his hands up to rest his face in them, “I’m so sorry, Chris,” he mumbled into them.

“It’s hardly the worst thing I’ve been called. It’s not even clever,” Chris chuckled, sobering up as she continued, “I just needed to get some distance before I decked her in the middle of a bar.”

Street laughed a little, lowering his hands, “That’s fair.”

“Why doesn’t she like me?” Chris asked, just curious.

“She read our texts,” he answered, “The ones where you suggested I dump her. She thinks you and I are together and you’re trying to break us apart.”

“How did she read those? You didn’t show them to her.”

“No,” Street said reluctantly, “She has the password to my phone. She was going through it.”

“Excuse me?” Chris said, angry all of a sudden, “She was doing what?!”

“I don’t know,” he responded, “I woke up and she was on my phone-”  
“And you don’t see a problem with this?” she demanded, looking at him in disbelief.

“Well, it’s a little weird,” he admitted, “She’s just insecure-”

“No,” Chris interrupted, calming down, her voice imploring, “She’s messed up. Come on, Street. Can’t you see that you need to be getting as far away from her as possible? Not closer.”

“Chris-”

“I heard what you said to her, that’s she been keeping you from us. See? You  _ know _ what she’s doing. And yet you’re still standing for it. Why?”

She sounded desperate. Like she needed him to see something that he was refusing to look at. And he supposed that was exactly what was happening. Looking back, Maya had had so many little things that made him uncomfortable but he kept letting them slide. So many little things that he  _ knew _ were not ‘good’ girlfriend things. Not good person things. But she hadn’t been like that when he’d first met her. It wasn’t who she was. It couldn’t be. But, this was Chris standing in front of him, begging him to see that the situation was the definition of  _ wrong _ and how could he look at Chris and tell her she was being paranoid? Chris didn’t do paranoid. She was overbearing and she stuck her nose in places it didn’t belong, but she was not paranoid. Maybe she was right.

“I don’t know,” he admitted quietly, “I don’t. She scares me sometimes. She has these mood swings. One moment she’s happy and then I’ve done something to piss her off. I never even know what it is. But then, just like that, she’s fine again. I don’t know how to deal with it.”

“Then leave,” Chris said, “Listen to your gut, and leave.”

“I’ll talk to her,” Street promised, “Okay?”

Chris watched him for a moment and she must have decided that he was being earnest, because she nodded and pulled him in for a hug, her arms wrapping tightly around him.

“Call me if you need me,” she whispered into his shoulder, “Promise?”

“I promise,” he whispered. He closed his eyes, resting his chin on her shoulder, and just let her hold him. It felt nice, actually feeling safe in someone’s arms. Chris was the only person he could remember ever feeling that way with. After a moment, they stepped back from each other. He pat her shoulder one last time before he turned away, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Street found Maya leaning against her car, arms crossed, and looking pissed. He didn’t say anything, just gestured for her to get in. She did so, climbing into the driver’s seat as he got into the passenger’s. Once the doors were shut, she started sobbing.

“How could you embarrass me like that?”

“I embarrassed  _ you? _ ” he asked, looking at her in shock.

“Yes!” she shouted, looking up at him, “You yell at me in front of everybody and then stay behind to make out with your little girlfriend.”

“For the last time, she isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Well, you sure act like she is. That little slut can’t-”

“Don’t talk about her like that!” Street said angrily, “Do you understand?”

“See?” Maya said calmly, drying her tears, “You would never defend me like that.”

“Chris is my best friend,” Street responded, ignoring her bait, “We’re close. Maybe you just can’t understand that because you don’t know what caring about another person looks like.”

Before he knew what had happened, his right cheek had fire rising up it. His hand went to up to cover it, realizing that she had slapped him. She was coming in for another when he shot his hand out to grab her wrist.

“Jimmy, let go of me!” she shouted, trying to free her arm.

He held on a moment longer, making certain that she wasn’t going to try slapping him again. When he was sure the moment was over, he released her. She immediately cradled her hand to her chest, sobbing in pain. He knew for a fact he hadn’t grabbed her that hard.

“Why did you hit me?” he asked quietly.

“Oh, don’t be a baby,” she hissed, “Look, I’ll forget you nearly  _ broke _ my wrist if you forget that your face hurts a little.”

He sighed, looking out the windshield, “I don’t think I can do this anymore, Maya.”

“What?!” she demanded, dropping her hand into her lap as she turned to look at him, “Are you breaking up with me?”

“I think it’s for the best,” he responded calmly, refusing to meet her gaze, “This relationship isn’t healthy for either of us. I’m getting too wrapped up in you and I know for a fact that you weren’t this… neurotic when we met.”

“Oh, you think I’m crazy now?”

“No,” he said, finally looking into her eyes, “But I don’t want to be around you anymore.”

“You know what’s crazy? The fact that you almost broke my wrist a moment ago.”

“I didn't-”

“And I think your superiors would be very interested to hear that one of their officers abuses his girlfriends,” she said, the crocodile tears drying on her cheeks, “That he gaslights the women around him, making them think they’re crazy so they won’t realize what he’s really like. That he lies to them and  _ hurts  _ them.”

“They know I would never-”  
“Maybe,” she shrugged, “But they’ll have to look into it, whether they believe it or not. It would set a bad message with the public if they didn’t. And you’ll be suspended while they do. And who knows? Maybe they’ll find something. Then what, _Street_? You’ll be kicked off the force, you won’t even be allowed to be a beat cop anymore. You might even be arrested if they find enough.”

Street watched her carefully for a long time, “Why are you doing this?”

“I have never been in the habit of letting  _ sluts _ take my man. I’m not about to start now.”

He didn’t know what to do. She was right. They took allegations like that very seriously, just looking back at what his own mom was able to do to Hondo. He could lose his job, his friends. Everything. He leveled her with a firm look.

“Fine,” he agreed, “but don’t ever hit me again.”

She nodded and reached forward to start the car, “Okay, but you owe me for upsetting me so much tonight.”

 

Two months later, he and Maya were still going steady. He had mostly managed to dodge her attempts to get him to fully move in, not wanting everything there in case he needed to beat a hasty retreat. He was still hoping that he could find a way to break up with her relatively soon. Or that maybe she would just lose interest in playing with him and find herself a new toy.

He managed to go out on team outings every now and again, lying to Maya and saying he was working late. He even got to see some of his old pals from Long Beach once. But she had caught on and insisted that he be home by ten every night. She claimed that was when she went to bed and that she couldn’t sleep if he wasn’t home.

He mostly avoided Chris whenever she tried to talk to him about Maya, either finding a way to change the subject or a way to excuse himself from the conversation. He couldn’t confide in her about this, she couldn’t help him. All he would accomplish would be making her even more concerned then she already was and he couldn’t have that. No, he’d have to find a way out of this himself.

He’d taken to hiding his phone whenever he was in Maya’s apartment. Sometimes he would see that it had been moved and know she’d found it. But he’d been careful in screening his texts and hoped that she hadn’t found any ammo to use against him. Maya had insisted he deactivate his social media accounts, saying they were toxic and that she wanted to go on a cleanse. Obviously, she couldn’t have him being on his own accounts and tempting her.

She’d kept her word though and she hadn’t slapped him again, so he supposed that was something.

Being with her was exhausting though. Trying to keep up with her mood swings, trying to predict what would set her off. He never seemed to be able to do anything right when she was concerned and it felt like he had to jump through hoops just to keep her happy.

One night he came home ten minutes late. He had actually been at work late that night, he hadn’t lied. But she was waiting for him when he walked through the door. Arms crossed, her hair down and already brushed, her tank top and shorts she slept in already on.

“Where have you been?” she demanded.

“Working,” Street answered, handing his jacket on the stand by the front door, “There was a bombing at a bank today. Didn’t you see it on the news?”

“Of course I did,” she sounded offended he’d had the audacity to insinuate such a thing, “But that doesn’t explain why you’re home late.”

“It does,” he said, moving into the kitchen, “We had to find the bomber. He gave us a pretty good chase.”

He opened the cupboard and pulled out a mug that said ‘world’s best librarian’ on it. He didn’t even notice which one it was as he went to fill it with water.

“I’m not in the mood for this, Maya,” he said, “I just worked a fifteen-hour shift and I have to be back in the morning. I’m just gonna go to bed.”

“That’s my favorite mug!” she cried, having come up to stand directly behind him.

He hadn’t really noticed her getting closer and her yelling in his ear startled him, he’d blame it on having had such a long day, and he dropped the mug.

“Jimmy!” she shouted, shoving him into the fridge. He thanked whatever deity was out there that he was still wearing his shoes because he stepped right onto the broken fragments of glass. He hit the fridge with a dull thud, his mouth slamming into the handle. He tasted iron, bringing his hand up to feel his lip and his fingers came up with blood on them.

“What the hell, Maya?!” he demanded, turning on her. He really didn’t want her behind him anymore.

She gasped when she saw his face, rushing forward to fuss over him, “I’m so sorry, Jimmy. You just upset me that’s all. That was my favorite mug.”

“So you pushed me?” he asked, letting her dab at the cut with a towel that she grabbed from the counter.

“You know my emotions sometimes get the better of me,” she said like it was nothing. She started to step back and cried out sharply as a piece of the ceramic embedded itself in her heel.

“Maya!” he said urgently, moving forward to help quid her safely out of the mess before she could hurt herself more. He set her down on a chair at her dining table, kneeling in front of her to look at her foot, “It doesn’t look too deep. Let me get your first aid kit.”

He rushed to the bathroom and rummaged around until he found the little kit she kept in her medicine cabinet. When he came back, she had her injured foot crossed on top of her other leg and was trying to pull out the ceramic.

“Maya, let me do that,” he offered, kneeling back down in front of her and gently removing the piece of the mug, ignoring her squeals of pain. He cleaned the wound and bandaged it carefully, then moved over to the mess and swept up the pieces, making sure not to miss anything.

“Jimmy, why do you have to be so clumsy all the time?” she asked, looking upset when he turned to look at her, “I love you, but you make it very difficult.”

“I’m sorry, Maya,” he said, coming up to her again and helping her stand, holding her so she wouldn’t have to put weight on her foot, “It was an accident.”

“That’s okay. You can make it up to me,” she responded, looking up into his eyes. She leaned in to kiss him, but he leaned his head back.

“Not tonight, Maya. I’m really tired.”

“But… you’re a man.”

“So?”

“Don’t they always want to… you know?” she asked innocently.

He chuckled slightly, “Um, no.”

“But, you said you’d make it up to me. You injured me, Jimmy.”

He reached up to point at his lip, “I think we injured each other.”

“Well, you really upset me tonight. You were late and then you broke my favorite mug. And you cut up my foot. But, I don’t know, you dressing my wound was kind of sexy and I thought maybe… I just feel like if you really loved me then this wouldn’t be a problem for you.”

She pulled this often. Used a perceived slight against him to talk him into sleeping with her. He knew enough by now that his night would go easier if he’d just cave and agree.

“Okay,” he said after a moment, “If it’ll make you feel better.”

“Oh, it will,” she giggled, standing up taller to kiss him again. He let her this time, returning it as well. They made their way to her bedroom, and he fell backward onto it, letting her fall on top of him.

 

“What happened to your face?”

Street startled, not realizing somebody else had entered the locker room. He turned around to find Chris standing behind him.

“Oh, uh…” he thought for a minute, deciding to stick to a fraction of the truth, “I dropped a mug last night, and I slipped trying to avoid stepping on it. Face planted into the fridge.”

“Ah, man!” Luca exclaimed as he entered with Tan, “That is classic. You’re such a clutz.”

“Yes, thank you, Luca,” Street smiled tightly. One look at Chris told him that she didn’t believe him. He shut his locker and left the locker room. She tried to talk to him again, but he just pushed past her.

When he got home that night, Maya wasn’t there. It happened sometimes. She decided last minute to go out with friends and just forgot to tell him about it. He’d normally be fine with it, except that she didn’t extend the same courtesies to him. And at this point, he couldn’t make other plans. It was too late. He knew that was exactly why she didn’t tell him her plans.

So, he sat down on the couch and decided to unwind with some Call of Duty. Maya didn’t like video games, so he could only play them when she wasn’t around and it didn’t happen often.

It was just past midnight when she finally came back. He had nodded off at some point, having gotten next to no sleep the night before, but he was jerked awake when he heard a loud crash. He sat up quickly, seeing Maya standing in front of him. He realized the sound had been her slamming the door.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I was sleeping,” he answered, getting up from the couch, “What were you doing?”

“Excuse me?” she demanded, cocking her hip and placing her hand on it, “My social life is none of your business.”

He scoffed, “Oh, that’s rich.”

“You have something you want to say to me?” she asked, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around as he tried to pass her.

“Maya!” he admonished, pushing her hand off him, “What’s wrong with you? Have you been drinking?”

“Not much,” she answered, “Just a couple glasses of wine.”

“Enough for you to come in here and act crazy,” he said, trying to walk away again.

“Oh! Here you go with the insanity again!” she called after him, “You ever stop to think that maybe you’re the problem.”

He was in the doorway to the bedroom but he stopped and turned around, throwing his hands up, “You know what, I must be. Because I don’t remember you being like this when we met. And the only thing that’s changed in your life is me.”

When he tried to leave again, she shouted, “Hey! I’m talking to you!”

“I’m not having this discussion,” he said over his shoulder.

A moment later, he heard footsteps thudding on the floor. He had started to turn his head to see what it was when something slammed into him and he was on the floor. Maya had tackled him and was straddling his back, slamming her fists into his shoulders. There wasn’t much force behind it, it didn’t hurt all that much, but he wasn’t about to let her keep doing it. He pushed himself up, sending her tumbling backward into the living room. He got to his knees, turning in the narrow doorway to face her. But she was back up already. Before he could even turn fully, she had the vase from the coffee table in her hands and swung it at him. It collided with his forehead. He cried out, falling onto his back. He brought his right hand up to the point where he felt the pain, the left grabbing the doorway in an attempt to steady himself. Then she was on top of him, and she brought back her fist and punched him, hitting him right in his left eye. He brought both his hands up to grab onto both of hers in an attempt to stop her.

“Maya,” he said, trying to get through to her.

“Help!” she cried, “He’s hurting me!”  
“Maya! Stop!” he shouted, “Calm down!”

“Let go of me!” she said, pulling back against him in an attempt to free herself. He obliged and her momentum sent her backward again. She landed on his legs. He pushed his legs up to send her off and onto the carpet. He grabbed the doorway again to lean against it as he stood, his other hand holding his forehead. Blood was dripping into his right eye, making it hard for him to see.

“I’m going to leave now,” he said calmly, going into her room to grab his bag of stuff he usually left at her apartment. At his words, Maya rushed to her feet. She ran into the doorway, pressing both her hands into it to block him from leaving.

“Jimmy,” she said desperately, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Please, don’t leave. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

He came up to stand directly in front of her, locking his eyes with her own, “Move.”

When she didn’t listen, he pushed her gently out of the way. It took a moment to get her to budge, but he was eventually able to dislodge her from the doorway. She rushed after him, grabbing onto his backpack handle and pulling him toward her.

“Is this what you’re going to do? I mess up once and you’re gone?!” she sobbed.

He turned on her then and she let go, stumbling back into the wall.

“No,” he said, and he was surprised to realize that he was crying now, “I’m leaving because you are exactly like all of the people in my life that I have learned to stay far away from! You know, you’ve been behaving like my mother for months and I didn’t realize what you were. It’s kind of funny, all it took was you acting like my dad.”

“Jimmy,” she tried, stepping towards him. But she halted when he held his hand up.

“Do not call me that,” he said, “You asked me to trust you, and I did. I opened up to you. I told you things that I have never told anyone. I told you what my dad was like and you-”

He looked at her for a moment, taking in her running mascara and the tears tracking through it. He couldn’t tell if they were real or fake.

“You betrayed that.”

“I-” she sobbed, “I’ll tell your boss you hit me!”

“Tell them whatever you want,” he answered, grabbing his jacket from the coat hook, “I’m done playing your games.”

Whatever attempts she made to call after him, to get him to turn around just one more time, he ignored them. He slammed the door shut behind him and made his way down the hall, nosy neighbors cracking their doors open and peeking their heads through. He ignored them too.

 

“Hello?” the groggy voice filtered from the other end of the phone.

“Chris,” he said by way of greeting.

“Street?” she answered, sounded slightly more awake now if not irritated, “It’s one in the morning.”

“Remember you said a few months ago that I could call you if I need you?” he asked. When silence answered him, he continued, “I need you.”

Still, no answer and he began to worry that the line had been disconnected. He was about to pull the phone away from his ear to check it when he heard her.

“Okay, come over.”

“Thank you. I’m, uh… I’m in the hall.”

“Oh for-” she started, but she must have hung up because the line clicked and then she was gone.

He waited outside the door to her apartment, looking down at his phone when he realized he’d gotten blood on it. He didn’t know how to get blood out of a phone…

The door swung open as Chris said, “This had better be good.” She stopped when she took in his appearance, blinking at him owlishly.

“Hi,” he said awkwardly.

She stepped back from the door, gesturing for him to come in, “What the hell happened to you?”

“Oh, you know… got in a fight,” he answered evasively, “Nice pajamas.”

She was wearing the t-shirt she had worn to work that morning and basketball shorts, “Hey, when I’m the one that wakes you up in the middle of the night with a bloody face, then you can judge my appearance.”

“Fair enough,” he said, clapping his hands against his thighs.

“Were you racing your bikes again?” she asked, going into her bathroom for the first aid kit.

“No, I haven’t done that since that time you had to pick me up.”

“Good,” she said, coming out of the bathroom and setting the kit on her coffee table. She sat down on the couch and pat the seat beside her.

He obeyed and let her grab his chin to turn his head so she could look at the cuts on his forehead. He’d used his phone to look when he’d gotten to the curb outside Maya’s apartment building. There was one big cut right above his right eye, and two smaller ones further off to the side. His left eye was starting to bruise and he was certain he’d have a black eye by morning if he didn’t already. It did not help his case this his lip was still split from the night before.

“This one is deep,” she said thoughtfully, tilting her head to look better, “I think you need to go to the hospital. Come on, I’ll take you.”

“No, wait,” he said as she stood, grabbing her hand so she’d stop, “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

“Street, I have basic medical skills,” she responded, looking down at him, “I don’t know if I can stitch that properly. It could get infected and even if it didn’t, it’ll definitely scar if you let me take care of it.”

“I’ll take that chance, I trust you. I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

“Why not?” she asked, exasperated.

He shook his head, “I just don’t like hospitals. They ask questions that you can’t answer.”

Chris regarded him for a moment, then sighed and sat back down, “Fine, but you better tell me exactly what the hell is going on. No lies, no downplaying things. You owe me that much.”

“Deal,” he answered earnestly.

She reached over to the table and opened the kit, pulling out some antiseptic pads and turned to start rubbing gently over the slices in his skin. He couldn’t help but wince as the alcohol stun.

“You better start talking,” she said as she worked, looking just above his eyes to the task at hand,” Who did this?”

“Maya,” he whispered, looking down at his hands.

“What?!” she demanded, stopping her ministrations and dropping her hands into her lap.

“It’s no-”

“No, I said no downplaying,” Chris insisted and Street found that he couldn’t lie to her. Not anymore.

“Maya, she… she came back to her apartment after partying with her friends. She was acting weird. I… honestly can’t tell at this point if she was drunk or just being herself. We got in a fight. We’re always getting into fights. But I told her I wasn’t going to do it tonight and she attacked me.”

Chris was watching him intently, her brow furrowed, emotions battling for dominance on her face.

“She came at me with a vase,” he said, throwing in a wet chuckle to try and lighten the mood. He found that the fact that tears were welling in his eyes again didn’t help sell it.

“That’s it,” she fumed, rising from her seat again, “What’s her address?!”

“Chris, wait,” he pleaded, reaching out for her wrist to stop her, “It’s over, okay? I left and I’m not going back this time.”

She sat back down slowly, her anger fading when she saw how sad he looked.

“Street…”

“You were right,” he continued, “I should have listened to you. I don’t know why I haven’t learned to listen to you by now.”

“This isn’t your fault,” Chris said firmly.

“I know.”

“Do you?”

Street looked up at her then as he silently shook his head.

He felt the tears in his eyes break free, falling down his face, drawing streaks in the dried blood. He’d never cried in front of her before, in front of anyone really. He had learned growing up that he shouldn’t cry in front of others, it was a show of weakness. But he couldn’t help it this time. Everything had come piling up and before he knew it, it was spilling out. Chris said nothing though, simply leaned forward and grabbed onto him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. He clung right back to her as hard as he could, burying his face in her shoulder.

“This is not your fault,” she whispered again, “It’s not.”

He held on for just a little bit longer, feeling slightly guilty when he sat up and found that there was now blood on her t-shirt. She didn’t seem to mind though as she reached up to wipe her face, and he realized she was crying too.

“Maybe it is,” he admitted quietly, “This keeps happening to me. My dad, my mom… and now her. What is it about me that attracts these people? I have to be the problem.”

“You’re not!” Chris insisted, “You know that!”

“I thought I knew that. And with my parents, maybe it wasn’t my fault. But I should have known better. I should have seen Maya coming a mile away and I fell for it anyway. You guys keep saying how I’ve grown as a person in since I got back on the team, that I’ve matured. But that can’t be true.”

“Don’t talk like that, of course, you have!” Chris said, “Maya’s issues are her own, not yours. And the fact that she came in here and got you to fall for her and decided to manipulate you is on  _ her. _ So what if it took you a while to see that? You did! And you left.”

“I tried to break it off with her that night at the bar,” he admitted, “When you told me to. But she said she’d tell the Captain that I hit her if I did. She was going to get me fired. She still might for all I know. But I… I couldn’t stay anymore.”

“We’ll figure it out. We’ll explain everything to Hondo, and he-”

“Nope, not doing it.”

“Street, he can help!”

“No!”

“Why not?!” Chris asked, exasperated.

“I can’t!” he shouted, taking a deep breath when he realized his voice was getting loud, “I can’t go up to my boss and tell him that I let my girlfriend beat the shit out of me! How is anyone in there supposed to trust me to have their back in the field after that?”

“How about all the times you have actually had their back?”

“I can’t do it, Chris,” he pleaded.

“Okay,” she answered quietly.

“Promise you won’t tell anyone about this,” he asked.

“Well, they’re going to see that  _ something _ happened.”

“Chris!”

Chris hesitated. She wanted to argue, he knew, but she eventually grimaced and said, “I promise.”

They lapsed into silence after that as she washed the blood off his face and made sure the cuts were clean. She grabbed him a bag of frozen peas somewhere in there for his black eye.  She gave him a bottle of bourbon to sip from to numb the pain as she did her best to stitch up the largest of the cuts. It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job and he wasn’t in any position to complain. She used butterfly closures to hold the smaller two closed. When she was finished, she packed up her kit and put it away then went to wash her hands.

“Where are you going to go?” she asked as she dried her hands.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “I can go find a hotel I guess. I can’t go back to Luca’s tonight.”

She sighed, “You’re staying on my couch. I want to watch you to make sure you don’t have a concussion. I am not leaving you alone.”

“Thanks,” he smiled softly, “For everything.”

“Always,” she responded, smiling in kind, “Now change your clothes before you get blood everywhere.”

He looked down at himself and realized that his t-shirt was, in fact, plastered with blood on the side where his cut had been. He was just glad that he’d managed to avoid staining his jeans. They were his favorite pair. He picked up his backpack and went into the bathroom to change. When he came back out, Chris had set up some pillows and blankets on her couch.

“Alright, all done,” she said, standing up straight when she was finished flattening out a blanket, “Now, I’m going back to bed. Don’t bother me unless you’re dying.”

“Aye, sir,” he mock saluted. She chuckled before she disappeared into her room. He’d take that as a victory. He laid down on the couch, flipping over onto his left when he realized it hurt his face to lay on his right. God, he was sore. Maya must’ve done a bigger number on his back than he thought. He was almost afraid to look. It’d have to wait until morning though, the night’s events had zapped the little amount of energy he’d had that day and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three in the morning by the time Chris had finished patching him up, so as a result, the pair had only gotten two hours of sleep before her alarm went off. That wasn’t what woke him though, it was grabbing the blanket he was sleeping on and yanking. He went toppling off the couch and onto the floor, tangled up in the sheet. As he pressed his hands into the ground to push himself to his feet, he groaned in pain. His back was sore and his shoulders were stiff.

“Are you okay?” Chris asked. She had been laughing when he’d hit the floor but had stopped when she noticed he was in pain, concerned that she had hurt him.

“Good, yea,” he groaned, standing up and tossing the blanket onto the couch, “You saved me the ‘ten more minutes’ speech.”

“That was my goal,” she smirked, “But seriously… you’re alright?”

“Just a little sore,” he admitted, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to loosen them up, “I’m fine.”

“Alright,” she said offhandedly, “I made breakfast. Get dressed. We’re gonna be late.”

He did as he was told, changing into his t-shirt for work and cargo pants. She was dressed already, sitting at the table eating her egg sandwich. It didn’t take him long to change and brush his teeth, but by the time he was done, he didn’t have time to eat his own sandwich.

“We’ll take my truck, you can eat it in the car,” she said, tossing his to him in a plastic bag.

When they walked into the precinct together, he could feel everyone’s eyes on him. They were all curious, they all knew that he hadn’t been injured when he’d left work last night. Nobody asked, thankfully. But he knew that wouldn’t last long. As soon as his team saw him, it’d be like twenty questions.

He and Chris were the last ones to arrive. Luca looked up to greet them and leaned back as the surprise had physically hit him.

“What’s wrong with your face?”

Everyone else looked over to them when Luca spoke, Deacon whistling when he saw the damage.

“What the hell happened?” Tan asked.

Street exchanged looks with Chris, then looked to the others, “I drank a bit too much last night. Got in a fight at the bar.”

“On a school night?” Luca laughed, “Damn, I hope you won at least.”

“Oh, yea, you should see the other guy,” he returned the banter.

“It’s not going to be a habit, I hope,” Hondo said as he shut his locker.

“No, sir,” Street responded, standing up straight, “It was a one-time thing.”

“Good,” Deacon said, “Cause you know we don’t go out drinking when we’re on call. And we certainly don’t get in fights in bars.”

“What did Maya have to say about it?” Luca chuckled in the background with Tan. God, sometimes Street swore they were toddlers.

“Actually, we broke up,” Street said awkwardly, “so that’s done.”

“Oh shit,” Luca answered, serious all of a sudden.

“I’m sorry, Street,” Deacon said sympathetically, “You seemed serious about this girl.”

“Nah, I don’t do serious,” Street replied dismissively, distracting himself with opening his locker.

“So, you’re moving back in?” Luca called after him.

“Never moved out,” he replied over his shoulder, rummaging around to avoid looking at his teammates. He finished up quickly, tossing his backpack inside, and then slammed the door. He waved to the others and then disappeared out the door.

“Is her alright, Chris?” he heard Hondo asked, causing him to pause in the hallway.

“Yea, he’s just a little broken up about the girl thing. He’ll be fine,” she replied, although he heard a tint of nervousness in her voice. She didn’t like lying to the team, but she’d do it for him. No matter how many times it came back on her when he got himself into trouble.

This time it would be fine though. It wasn’t like he was ditching work, he just didn’t want his friends to know about his domestic drama. It wouldn’t be a problem.

 

Two weeks later, it was definitely a problem. Maya called him a half a dozen times a day and sent him so many texts that he lost count of them. She sent him nude photos and he had a few close calls when he checked his messages at work and a member of his team almost saw them. He got frustrated and blocked her number. He was worried that if she tried to reach him enough times that he’d cave and answer and he thought it best to sever that cord before it could happen.

He realized it had been a mistake when she showed up at the precinct the next day.

“Officer Street,” the front desk lady, Gina, greeted, “You have a visitor.”

He turned around expectantly, unsure who could possibly be there to see him. He would have sworn he felt his heart stop when he saw his ex-girlfriend standing there in the doorway, fiddling with her hands. She looked nervous, why he didn’t know. Maybe she was unsure what exactly he had told his team, how they’d react to her being there. Chris spotted her and shook her head, heading in Maya’s direction. Street held out his arm to stop her and gave her a look.

“Don’t. I’ll handle it,” he whispered to her, turning to the other woman, “Thank you, Gina.”

He crossed the precinct, ignoring the confused comments of his team as they bombarded Chris, and went up to Maya, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. When she saw him, all signs of anxiety she had before left her and she just looked angry.

“You’re ignoring me now?” she hissed, knowing enough to keep her voice low.

“We broke up, Maya,” he answered calmly.

“No, you broke up with me,” she countered, “I had no say in the matter.”

“You hit me in the head with a vase,” he whispered harshly, “That was your say.”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.”

“Is this why you’re here?” he asked, “To insult me?”

“Look at your poor face,” she fussed, attempting to distract him as she brought her hand up to caress where the cuts were now healing. His eye had mostly healed, with only a little yellow still on his bottom lid. The two smaller cuts were gone, but the larger one was still visible in the form of an angry scab. He smacked her hand away from him.

“Don’t touch me.”

She dropped her arm, letting out a put-off sigh, “I’m here because you won’t answer my calls. I need to talk to you, and you’re behaving like a child!”

Her voice was louder now and he checked over his shoulder to make sure nobody could hear her.

“Maya, you need to leave,” he demanded, “You can’t just show up at my job and make a scene like this.”

“I just want to talk to you, Jimmy. I know you still love me!”

“It doesn’t matter how I feel about you. We can’t be around each other anymore, and we can’t have this discussion here. Now leave,” he stepped to the side and held the door open for her.

“I could still tell your bosses that you-”

“Then why haven’t you done it yet?” he asked her. She looked taken aback for a moment, pausing to gather her composure.

“Maybe I was giving you a chance. And maybe you just missed it.”

She started toward the door, but then stopped suddenly and spun on her heel. She stalked back over to him and hissed at him in a low voice.

“You know, I hope you’re fine with spending the rest of your life alone. Do you really think you’ll ever find someone else dumb enough to love you? I’m it, baby. I’m all there will ever be. You’re too much for other people, all this drama. All this baggage. But I’m willing to put in the work because I love you. And you need to see that before you force me to do something that can’t be undone.”

Then she was gone, but Street had a distinct feeling of unease that he would see her again. He was just glad he never gave her the address he shared with Luca.

The team didn’t ask about Maya showing up in the precinct, respecting that he would dodge the questions anyway. He appreciated it. But it did make the rest of the day awkward as hell. They all had it on their mind and weren’t really sure how to talk about anything else. Everyone was able to push it aside when it came to getting down to work and that was the important part.

 

What he dubbed “The Maya Incidents” kept happening though she was getting more intense. She started calling him from other numbers. He wasn’t sure if they were burners or payphones, but it started making him wary of answering his phone when he didn’t recognize the number.

“Dude, you gonna answer that?” Luca asked around a mouthful of his lunch. They were sitting together in the cafeteria for lunchtime and Street was staring at his phone, just watching it ring. He blinked and looked up at Luca.

“Uh, no. Probably just a telemarketer,” he said, reaching over and pushing the power button so it would stop ringing. Less than a minute later it rang again. He angrily picked the device up and shut it off entirely.

“Are you alright, kid?” Luca asked, setting down his sandwich.

“Yea,” Street answered quickly, setting his phone back on the table a little too hard, “Why?”

“You seem… on edge,” Luca answered, waving his hand around in Street’s direction, “You’ve got this jittery vibe going on. Like you’ve had too much caffeine.”

“That’s probably it, I’ve had a lot of coffee today,” he said, rising quickly from his seat and throwing out his trash, “I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you later.”

He decided to use the rest of his lunch break to go to his phone carriers store to get a new phone number. He cleared it with Hondo first, not wanting them to be called back early and have his team not know where he was.

“Of course, is there something wrong with your phone?”

“Yea, it’s been glitchy lately,” he fibbed, “I just want them to take a look at it. They’re usually closed by the time I’m off work. I’ll be quick.”

If Hondo was suspicious he didn’t say anything. Street rushed to the store on his bike as quickly as he could. Fortunately, there weren’t many people in the shop so the tech girl was able to help him right away. She changed his phone number and he was out of there in less than twenty minutes.

He was walking down the sidewalk to get back to his bike when a hand tapped on his shoulder. Street turned around to see who it was, jumping back and hitting the window of one of the shop. It was Maya.

“Hi,” she waved innocently.

“Maya,” he hissed, leaning in, “What are you doing here?”

“I was just across the street and I saw you over here and decided to come say hi.”

“Well next time, don’t,” he said, walking swiftly away. But she ran after him.

“You said we couldn’t talk at the precinct. I was hoping we could talk here.”

“No, I’m gonna be late. I’m on my lunch break.”

“You know all of the things I did was to protect you, right? I didn’t want you to see your friends because I knew they’d hurt you. Just look at what they did to us. You don’t know what’s best for you sometimes.”

“No, Maya,” he said, refusing to look back over his shoulder, “You didn’t want me to have any friends because you knew they would see who you really were.”

“That is not true, baby,” Maya answered calmly, before her voice picked up a chipper cadence, “Hey, what were you doing in the phone store.”

“That is none of your business!”

“Of course, it is. You’ve forgotten that,” she said from behind him. Just as he reached his bike, she grabbed onto his sleeve and spun him around, stepping onto the tips of her toes and kissing him fiercely. Startled, he pushed her away from him. When he looked down at her she simply looked proud of herself, “Bye, Jimmy.”

“Bye,” he said quickly, starting his bike and speeding off.

 

It kept happening. She’d just show up places he happened to be, with some excuse as to why she was there and how funny it was that they ran into each other. So he had to start finding excuses of his own, why he’d ask one of his friends to go with him whenever he needed to go somewhere.

Whenever it was his turn to go grocery shopping, he’d talk Luca into coming with him, citing that he always bought the wrong snacks if he went alone. He talked Chris into tagging along when he had to go pick up a part he had mail ordered for his bike.

It was pissing him off. He was becoming a jumpy mess and it wasn’t like him. Deacon had spotted him on the street on their day off and had come up behind him to say hello and Street had startled and nearly dropped his coffee. Deacon hadn’t reacted beyond asking if he was alright, but Street knew that was something that would be taken to Hondo. And if enough little things got taken to Hondo by enough people, eventually he’d ask Street to sit and talk with him and that was something he strongly needed to avoid.

He wasn’t afraid of Maya, perse. He knew she couldn’t really hurt him much. But she had a habit of sneaking up on him and the two times she had attacked him had been when his back was turned. He’d rather appear jumpy than end up with his head bashed in when Maya inevitably completely lost her mind. He figured it was coming soon when he started receiving packages on his doorstep. She never addressed it from herself, preferring instead to leave a note inside. She must have been smart enough to avoid raising Luca’s suspicions.

They were all in cardboard boxes, left like the postman had delivered them except there was no postage. Everyone had a card in it with varying messages from ‘I love you’ to ‘I’m sorry’, and the gifts started as just flowers. That was no issue, he just threw them in the trash out back, hoping Luca wouldn’t see them there. He never brought the trash out anyway. But they escalated and one day he got a pair of her underwear.

There were even a few events where he was almost certain she had been in his home. He noticed a few of his things missing and sometimes when he woke up in the morning he’d see that some of his things had been moved. He was almost certain he was being paranoid but he honestly wouldn’t put it past Maya to do something like that. He felt like he was going insane and it made him hate her even more.

What concerned him most was that she had his address. He had never given her that information.

 

After a long week at work, the team was walking up the lawn to Luca and Street’s house, ready to unwind with a movie night and a few bears, with big plans for their respective days off tomorrow. Just as they reached the door and Street was pulling the key from his pocket, Luca tapped his shoulder.

“Hey, look…” he said slowly, moving carefully down the porch to the window in the front of the house. Glass was scattered on the floor and there was a jagged hole where the window had been, the curtains being blown through by the wind.

Street came up behind him and looked over his shoulder, “What the…”

“Come on,” he said, pulling his gun from its holster and going back to the door. He carefully opened the door, pushing it open and slowly stepping into the house.  Street followed behind him, ready in the event of an ambush, with the others on his tail. They cleared the house and holstered their weapons.

“They must be gone,” Luca commented, looking around the living room, “They just wrecked everything.”

Luca was right, whoever had been in their house had just gone to town. Everything on their coffee table was on the floor. The remotes had been thrown into the wall, shattered to pieces. Anything that had been framed was now in pieces on the floor.

Moving into the kitchen, it was in much the same shape with all the pantries emptied. Their food and pots spilled on the floor and most of the dishes in shatters.

Both of their rooms were a mess as well, though Luca’s looked mostly as though someone had just thrown the laundry from the drawers onto the floor. Street’s was trashed. They had torn open his pillows and thrown the stuffing all over the floor. The photos that had been on his desk were across the room and shards of glass littered the ground. It seemed that everything he owned had been targeted.

Luca came around the hall, finished assessing the damage in his room and almost ran into Street, who was standing in the doorway to his own. He had been too shocked by the scene before him to actually set foot inside and look around.

“Oh, man,” Luca breathed, “Why the hell would somebody do this?”

“This does not look like a robbery,” Hondo observed, “It looks like one of you pissed someone off.”

“Have you seen their rooms?” Tan said, “It was definitely Street.”

Chris caught on immediately, casting a curious look at Street.

He sighed, bringing his arms up and crossing them over his chest. He knew exactly why somebody would do something like this. And he knew exactly  _ who _ had done it too. Any denial he had been planning on wallowing in had been cast aside because  _ Chris  _ knew. His moment of dilemma came in whether or not he should tell Luca. He didn’t like hiding things from his team and, in this case, it probably made everything harder. They wouldn’t be able to help though, of that he was certain. But, this wasn’t just affecting him anymore. She had trashed the home he shared with Luca. At the very least, his friend deserved to know that an apparently deranged woman had his home address.

“It was,” he confessed, turning around to face the others, “I know who did this.”

Chris crossed the living room to stand beside him, rubbing a hand up and down his back. She always knew when he needed support and she was always there to give it. He was lucky to have her.

Everyone looked to him expectantly, gathering together in the vague shape of a circle. Street took a deep breath and looked around at everyone.

“Maya.”

There was silence for a solid minute before Tan calmly asked, “Wait… your ex-girlfriend Maya?”

“Your girl trashed our house?!” Luca shouted.

“Yea…” he answered slowly, “She’s gone a little nuts since I dumped her.”

“Define ‘a little’,” Hondo said, crossing his arms.

Street looked to Chris briefly before fixing his eyes down on his feet, “She’s been following me around and sending me all these weird gifts. She’s why I had to change my phone number.”

Chris looked shocked, jerking her hand back. He hadn’t told her about that.

“You guys broke up a month ago,” Deacon observed, “This has been going on this whole time?”

Street just silently nodded, refusing to meet his team’s eyes.

“Is she the one that messed up your face last month?” Hondo asked calmly.

“Yes,” he answers, looking up at everyone, “It’s why we broke up.”

“Ok,” Deacon said, “We’re all going to sit down. And you’re going to tell us exactly what’s happening.”  
“I really don’t think-”  
“Details. Now,” Deacon repeated, “So we can help.”

Chris gently pushed Street toward the nearest chair, the one to the left of the couch. She sat down on the arm, an ever-present shield, while the Deacon, Tan, and Luca crowded on the couch. To remain near the group, Hondo cleared off the coffee table and sat down on it.

“Spill,” Hondo commanded after it became clear that Street wasn’t about to start talking on his own.

So he told them everything. He told them about how she was nice when they had met, but she became nosy and pushy. About how she had these mood swings and that the smallest thing he did would set her off. That she convinced him to tell her the password for his phone. He told them about the times they invited him out but couldn’t come because she got jealous when he spent time with people that weren’t her.

He told them how she slowly became more and more violent, and that one night it culminated in her coming home late and hitting him with the vase. He told them that was when he broke up with her. That he thought it would be the last he’d see of her. But she kept calling him and texting him until he blocked her, then she started using burners and payphones and he had to change his number altogether. Then she showed up at the precinct. And the supermarket. And the gas station. And that it just kept happening. But he hadn’t been concerned about it, because he was certain she didn’t know where he lived. Then gifts started showing up on the porch, and now this.

“You’re ignoring her,” Deacon mused, “She’s getting angry.”

“That’s so screwed up, man,” Luca said, “Why didn’t you tell us about all this?”

Street shrugged, “I didn’t think you guys could help.”

“You should have told us,” Hondo agreed, “Before it even came to this. We’re your team.”  
“You are. And you can’t do anything,” Street said, trying to keep the anxiety from leaking into his voice, “I can’t stop her, and neither can any of you.”

“What the hell makes you think that?!” Luca exclaimed.

“This is the position she’s put me in!  _ She _ is the innocent librarian, and  _ I  _ am the big scary man. If I come out and say she assaulted me, she’ll say the same thing. There is no evidence leaning either way. It’s literally going to be he-said-she-said. Who do you think they’re going to believe?”

“She broke into and trashed our house!” Luca responded, “We’ll report her for that!”

“We have no evidence that it was her!”

“They’ll find proof!”

“Actually,” Chris interjected, “Only one in ten burglary cases are solved. The rest are usually closed due to lack of evidence.”

“Thank you, Chris,” Luca said, “Thank you for that.”

“Why not report her before all of this? Instead of breaking up with her when she attacked you with the vase, why not just call the police?” Deacon asked, “Save yourself all of this trouble.”

“How was he supposed to know she’d start stalking him?” Chris defended.

“Still worth a shot,” he countered.

“It doesn’t help!” Street shouted, “You call the police on someone like her, they just show up and they look around. Maybe laugh a little at the idea that a petite girl could get the drop on a S.W.A.T. officer, and then they leave! They leave you alone with him, only he’s angrier than he was before!”

He paused for a moment, visibly shaking himself, “Her. Sorry.”

There was a long, tense moment of silence that passed over the group as they all remembered that he had been in this situation before. Not this exactly, but something similar enough that it was causing him to fray at the edges, dragging back up memories that are better left buried. He sat there, staring at his hands clenched in his lap. Chris leaned into him as she wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders.

“Street, look at me,” Hondo said, waiting patiently until he obeyed, “We’re here to help this time around. We can fix this.”

“I thought  _ I _ could fix it,” Street answered softly, “It took me a while but I saw everything going south and I… I didn’t want to turn into my mom. So, I did what she didn’t do. I left before things could get worse. But that didn’t do any good. Maya is… I can’t do anything to stop her and I feel…”

The unspoken words hung in the air.

_ I feel helpless. I feel alone. _

“I’m just tired,” he confessed, “I’m tired of running from her. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder all the time. I… I don’t want to do this again.”

“Hey, kid,” Luca said, “We’ll figure this out. If we work together, we’ll find something.”

“First things first,” Deacon started, “We have to figure out how she’s finding you.”

“Cell phone?” Tan suggested, shrugging.

“Is she following you on any social media accounts?” Chris asked, sitting up straight again.

“Um… no,” Street answered, wiping some tears from his eyes before they could fall and embarrass him more than he already had been, “She asked me to deactivate all of my accounts. Except for Snapchat, but I have the map turned off if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Let me see it,” she answered, holding out her hand. He opened the app in question and handed the device to her. She scrolled through the settings for a moment, a look of concentration on her face before she cursed lowly.

“What?” Luca asked expectantly.

“Snapchat has a setting so you can turn on your location, but only certain people can see it and she turned it on. Your phone has been sending her your location,” Chris explained, handing him it back so that he could see.

“But how…” Tan started, before realization dawned over his face, “She had your password.”

He stared at the screen, reading her username written in the map setting page, “I didn’t think to block her. She wasn’t messaging me from here.”

“She’s smart,” Hondo admitted, “She knew you would cut her off if she did.”

Street let his phone drop to the floor, leaning forward to press his elbows into his knees and hide his face in his hands, “I did this to myself.”

“Street,” Chris admonished, “This isn’t your fault.”

“I gave her the password,” he insisted, sitting up to look at her, “That was me.”

Chris looked at him, holding his gaze steadily, “This isn’t your fault.”

He narrowed his eyes at her before leaning down and picking up his phone. He turned off the location entirely and then blocked Maya’s account. Then he thought about it and just deleted the app entirely, just to be safe. Maybe it was actually time for a media purge now. One less way for Maya to find a way to worm her way back in.

“Deleted,” he said, shoving his phone back into his pocket, “Now what?”

“You’re going to pack a bag, you’re staying with me for a few days,” Hondo said.

“What? No, I can’t ask you to do that-”  
“You aren’t asking me, I’m offering. I have plenty of room and my couch is a pull-out. With any luck, now that she can’t track you anymore, she won’t have any idea that you’re there. From the looks of this place, she’s well on the road to getting violent and I need to know that you’re safe.”

“But what about Luca?”

“I’ll be fine,” the man in question responded, “She’s after you, not me. And Tan will help me clean up here. You’ve got your own room though.”

“I will?” Tan asked before Luca elbowed him in the side, “I mean, I will.”

“I can stay and help for a bit too,” Chris said as the group rose from their seats.

“I have to get home to my kids,” Deac apologized.

“Of course, man,” Luca waved him off, “Get home, go. We got everything here.”

“Deacon nodded and headed for the door, saying, “Call me if you need me,” as he left.

Street and Hondo stuck around to clean for a bit, but there was too much of a mess to get through tonight, and eventually Tan and Chris left, with promises to be back in the morning. Street grabbed his backpack and filled a duffle with some clothes, said goodnight to Luca and swore to his worried friend that he’d be careful, and then he left with Hondo. The car ride to the other man’s apartment was a little awkward as they sat in silence. If he was being honest with himself, he was a little embarrassed for losing it in front of his team like that. As if this entire situation didn’t already cause him enough chagrin. He still felt like he should have expected this, should have seen it coming somehow. And, if not that, then she shouldn’t have subjected himself to Maya’s harassment. He knew deep down that Chris was right, that this couldn’t possibly be his fault, but that didn’t stop the shame that rose in him whenever the thought of telling the team had so much as crossed his mind in the past.

“Hey, kid,” Hondo spoke up after they’d been driving for a while, “I’ve been thinking… I may have an idea on how to get rid of this girl.”

“I’m all ears,” Street said, turning his head from where he’d been watching the lights out the window to look at his leader.

“Have you given any thought to a restraining order?” Hondo asked, glancing at Street out of the corner of his eye before turning them back to the road.

Street nodded, contemplating the idea, “A little. I’m not all that confident it would work.”

“I think it’d be worth a shot,” Hondo insisted, “We could gather enough evidence to get a judge to see reason. And even if that isn’t enough to stop her, you’d have the perfect excuse to have her arrested the next time she tries anything.”

“I suppose you’re right…” Street said thoughtfully, “I guess it couldn’t hurt to try.”

“That’s the spirit!” Hondo joked, “If you want, I’ll go down to the courthouse with you tomorrow to fill out the forms to get this ball rolling.”

“Sounds good,” Street agreed and let the car lapse back into silence. A moment later he looked to Hondo, “Thank you for having my back on this. It means a lot to me.”

“Anytime,” Hondo promised, glancing to his teammate briefly, “We’re a team, kid. It’s what we’re for. On and off duty.”

Street nodded, smiling slightly. He wasn’t entirely sure how all of this was going to play out. If they’d get the restraining order. If he’d eventually get to the point where he’d never have to see Maya again. If she’d manage to seriously hurt him before that could happen. But he didn’t feel so alone anymore and having a game plan sure felt good.

 

The next morning, Hondo and Street got up early to drive down to the courthouse. Hondo had promised his mom he’d be over for brunch and he wanted to get the paperwork done before then.

“I didn’t take you for the brunch type,” Street laughed as he jogged up the courthouse steps.

“I’m not usually,” Hondo agreed, “But my mom is, so I will be for today. You’re coming, by the way.”

“What?” Street exclaimed, “No, I’m not?”  
“Yes, you are,” Hondo laughed, smiling cheekily, “I told her you were staying with me and she insisted I bring you along. She’s not the kind of woman you want to disappoint.”

“Ok, if she insists,” he shrugged, reaching the desk at the front and greeting the receptionist, “Good morning.”

She looked up from a stack of papers she was sorting and smiled at them, “Good morning. How can I help you, gentlemen?”

“Hiya, sweetheart,” Hondo flirted, “My friend here is looking for an application for an order of protection. You wouldn’t happen to have any of those laying around, would you?”

“I think I could find one real quick,” the woman giggled, rolling her chair back and searching through a file cabinet. She flipped through it until she found the folder she was looking for and pulled a few papers out of it. She came back and slid the small stack through the slit in the glass between them and her, “Alright, here you go. Just fill those out and hand em back to me and I can get you all squared away.”

“Thank you,” Hondo smiled, taking the papers and turning away, grabbing a pen from a holder on the desk as he went. Street followed him outside where they sat on a bench on the sidewalk and Hondo handed the pen and papers to him, “There you go. If you need help with anything, just let me know.”

“Thanks,” Street mumbled, taking the items from him. He set them down in his lap and read the first page. Most of it was straight forward. Who is it he needed the order against and why? It didn’t take him long to fill everything out, including his and Maya’s contact info.

Once they gave the papers back with the secretary, she informed him that he’d be contacted within the next two weeks with a court date. And that, at some point in that time, Maya would be served to appear in court.

“Now, you don’t have to serve her yourself,” the woman explained as she stamped the paperwork, “But she does have the right to state her own case.”

“I understand,” Street smiled, “Thank you for your help.”

“No problem, darling,” she said, “Good luck.”

 

The next two weeks did not pass quickly. With her way of tracking him gone, Maya wasn’t following him around as much anymore. At the very least, she didn’t let herself be seen. He still found boxes on his doorstep, and he swore that he saw her car parked down the street a few times.

She was still there, he knew it. He could feel it. But she was keeping her distance and that was somehow worse. He couldn’t see her so he had no way of knowing what she was planning on doing.

It was early in the morning, the day before he was set to appear in court, and he and Luca were walking down their front lawn to get to Luca’s car. He had been gathering the things he would need for the hearing and Luca had offered to buy him breakfast. A little sick of Hondo’s cooking, good as it may be, he had accepted. Luca went around into the street and hopped into the driver’s seat. Just as Street opened the door to the passenger side, there was a crashing sound just to his left. He startled, spinning in the direction of the noise, only to find that their neighbor had knocked over a metal trash can. He released the iron grip he had on the door handle, bringing his hand up and pressing it over his racing heart as he took a deep calming breath.

“You good, kid?” Luca called, leaning across the center console and looking up at Street through the open doorway.

Street blinked, looking to his friend, “Uh, yea. Sorry.”

He shot a last quick glance down the sidewalk before he climbed into the car, shutting the door behind him and reaching for his seatbelt to click it into place. He leaned his head back against the rest behind him, staring up at the sun visor. Anything to avoid meeting the worried and calculating gaze of his friend that was still on him.

“This girl’s really got you rattled, huh?”

Street sighed and turned to face his friend.  _ Okay, _ he thought,  _ so we are discussing this. _

“Yea,” he shrugged, “She has to know about the restraining order by now. I’m just a little worried that she’s angry.”

Luca chuckled, “Of course, she’s gonna be angry,” stopping and making a sour face when he realized what Street meant, “Ooh. Well, I don’t think she’ll try anything if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

“I don’t know that,” Street insisted, turning and looking out the window just in case she had appeared while his guard was down.

“Kid,” Luca said calmly, “You’re just working yourself up. She’s not coming after you because you’re always with me, or Chris or somebody. Besides, right now we don’t have anything against her criminally because so far she’s been smart enough to not leave anything behind. Why would she ruin all that now?”

“Because she’s psychotic!” Street answered angrily, turning around to glare at Luca, “She is certifiable. Do you think any of this is something a normal person would do?”

Luca grimaced, looking down at the steering wheel, “The hearing is tomorrow. Alright? You’ll get the order against her and then this will be over. Just try and chill out until then, okay?”

Street grunted in agreement, looking out the window against as Luca started the car. It all sounded well and good, but he wasn’t so certain it would be that easy.

 

It was a long day at work after that and an even longer night as Street lay awake on Hondo’s couch, unable to sleep. When people talk about how much one person can change your life, they usually mean it in a positive way. He’d never heard it said about someone bad. But that was what kept coming to his head as he thought about tomorrow.

Here he was with a new phone number, none of his social media accounts, and hiding out in his boss’ apartment. Nightmares of her coming for him plaguing him nearly every night. In the bad ones, she took some of his friends from him first. Genuinely afraid for his life for the first time in a long time. Going out in the field was where he felt safest these days. And for what? All because some clever yet insane woman had thought she could control him. And in a way she was right. Her actions had driven him here. She was the reason he jumped at the slightest sound. Why he could never answer his phone anymore. Why he felt so trapped and alone.

And he did feel alone. Despite his teammates’ strength holding him up, the feeling persisted. He was in an isolating situation that none of them had ever been in. He was trapped, though there were no walls, and he couldn’t see a way out. The team had faith that the hearing would go there way but he couldn’t. What he could do was fake it, just until the hearing was over. Then, once he knew the judge’s decision, he would decide how to handle it. For now, he needed to trust in his team, trust that they had his back, no matter what tomorrow had in store.

 

His palms were sweating. That was what he chose to focus on as his paced anxiously back and forth across the top of the courthouse steps. Hondo wasn’t far, leaning against the railing off to the side, the picture of calm. He had tried to talk Street into stopping and to just breathe but had realized fairly quickly that it was a failed endeavor and had instead decided to move out of the way. All of a sudden, his tie felt too tight and he reached up to yank it loose. He didn’t remove it completely, leaving it around his neck if only to easily fix it when it was time to go inside.

“Street!” a voice called from the bottom of the steps. When he turned to look, he saw the other jogging up the stairs toward him. As soon as Chris reached the top, she wrapped her arms tightly around and him.

“You guys came,” he said, astonished, as he returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm.

“Of course we did,” Chris answered, finally releasing him, “It’s not like we had anywhere better to be.”

Street chuckled, “Well, thanks anyway.”

“You seem anxious, man,” Tan said, “You have to chill out.”

“I’m getting really tired of hearing that, Tan,” Street joked, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

Hondo came over to join them, “We should probably get inside. They’re going to be calling you in soon.”

The group all headed toward the door to wait outside the courtroom. Soon, his number was called. The team had to wait outside, so they all wished him luck as he walked through the door. The judge wasn’t at their podium yet, so he made his way toward the podium and resolved to wait there. A moment later, the door opened and shut behind him and turned around to investigate. It had been Maya, dressed in a maroon pencil skirt and matching blazer, walking in with who he assumed was her lawyer, a middle-aged woman with greying black hair and a charcoal power suit. He was wishing he had gotten a lawyer right then, but he hadn’t thought he’d need one for something like this.

She didn’t acknowledge him until she reached her own stand, placing her palms firmly on the flat surface and fixing him with a sorrowful stare, “Why are you doing this to me, Jimmy?”

“I could ask you the same question,” he answered coldly.

“I love you,” she swore.

“Maya,” her lawyer cautioned, “Save it for the hearing.”

A moment later the judge walked in. She looked to be about sixty, her silver hair tied up in a neat bun behind her and rectangular spectacles perched on top of her round nose. He saw that the name tag on her bench said ‘Judge Hasselcorn’.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road. Who’s the defendant?”

The lawyer stepped forward, “Sara Nomes representing Maya Vanbrock, your honor.”

“And you?” Hasselcorn asked, turning toward him with a disdainful look. He did not have a good feeling about this.

“Jim Street, your honor,” he greeted, leaning forward slightly, “And, I’m representing myself.”

She gestured towards him, “State your case.”

“Well, your honor, I’m here today to file an order of protection against Miss Vanbrock on the account that she has been harassing me and I have reason to believe she has the intention to hurt me,” he answered, trying to keep as professional as he could. Fortunately, he’s had to testify in numerous criminal cases so he was hoping he knew enough about how they spoke to at least sound competent.

“And why is that? Do you have any evidence?”

“I do, your honor. If I may approach the bench?”

Hasselcorn waved him forward and so he grabbed the box he had brought and hurried up to her. He pulled out the phone logs he had printed as well as the photos of his and Luca’s home, along with her notes and some of the gifts she had left him.

“These phone logs are from after I broke up with her a few months ago, she was calling me and texting me incessantly, to the point that I had to change my number. And she’s been sending me these gifts nearly every day, as well as following me to the supermarket and even showing up at my work. And two weeks ago, she broke into my home and she trashed it.”

“These look to me like the love letters and the phone calls of an upset woman wondering why she got dumped,” Hasselcorn said coldly, “How do you even know that the break-in was her?”

“Well… I don’t,” he admitted, but added quickly, “I don’t have evidence, I mean. But I know it was her. She’s getting angry that I’m not answering her anymore.”

“I really don’t see why you think this woman is dangerous.”

“The night I end my relationship with her, it was because she attacked me with a vase,” he said.

"You're a big strong man. Capable of taking down criminals twice your size. And you expect me to believe a petite woman stands any chance against you physically?"

"Your honor-"

“Step away from the bench,” Hasselcorn ordered, turning to the defendant’s podium, “You have the floor, Miss Nomes.”

“Your honor, I request that we end this farce now. My client has never hurt so much as a fly in her life and I find it ludicrous that this man would suggest anything otherwise.”

“I just-” Maya suddenly sobbed, looking up to the judge with teary eyes, “I just loved him so much. My friends told me I should have left him, the first time he hit me.”

“What?!” he exclaimed, looking at her in shock but she just kept talking.

“I didn’t listen. I know I should have. But then he dumped me out- out of nowhere and I just wanted to know why. What had I done? I tried so hard to please him. I even let him talk me into sex when I was too tired to even move jus- just to keep him happy. And now here we are! He’s just trying to drag me down lower.”

Nomes rubbed a hand down her client’s back comfortingly, “It’s okay, dear. He won’t hurt you anymore,” then she looked to the judge, “I rest my case.”

“Officer Street,” Hasselcorn said angrily, and he looked up at her, his palms sweating again, “I see nothing more here than an officer of the law content to use his authority against poor helpless women. To menace them into doing his bidding. How could you make a young woman care for you, only to seduce her and then throw her aside like garbage? Only to then wonder why she calls you and begs for you to come back to her. To think that you would try to use the order of protection, something sacred that women need to defend themselves against men like you, make me sick. And the fact that you thought you could pass yourself off as the victim here, just to rake this poor girl’s name further your mud, that you thought I would be stupid enough to fall for it, just makes me angry. Your request for an order of protection is denied.”

She slammed her gavel into her desk, causing Street to jerk slightly as he stared down at his hands, clasped together on the podium’s surface.

“Your honor,” Miss Nomes spoke up, “The defendant would like to request her own order of protection in hopes of protecting herself from any further attacks, both personally and physically, that Officer Street should attempt.”

“Granted,” Hasselcorn said, hitting her gavel again, “Let’s write up the terms.”

“Wait, what-” he asked urgently, “How-”

“This is what happens when you try to abuse the law,  _ Officer, _ ” the judge said disdainfully.

 

An hour later, the court was adjourned and he went back out into the hallway to the hopeful faces of his friends, his coat unbuttoned and his tie hanging loosely around his neck.

“Well?” Luca asked, optimism leaking off him in waves, “How’d it go?”

Street chose not to answer verbally, unsure that he would be able to at this point without his voice breaking, and just looked at them sadly as he shook his head.

“What’s that then?” Tan asked, gesturing the packet of papers in Street’s hand.

He silently handed them to Tan, shoving his hands in his pockets once they were free.

“She filed a counter order against you?!” Tan exclaimed and there was a collective gasp as everyone leaned in to look.

“What does it say?” Hondo asked, reading over Tan’s shoulder. Chris noticed Street standing alone and closed the distance between them, relinquishing her place reading the paper.

“The usual,” Tan said, “He can’t contact her in any way. He can’t go within a hundred feet of her. And… he has to attend a batterer’s intervention program?!”

They all looked up at Street in shock and he shrugged, “Two days a week for twenty-four weeks. She said I beating her while we were dating. The judge believed her.”

“How could they possibly have any evidence of that?” Chris asked, “That the judge would suggest a program like that!”  
“Actually it was Maya’s idea,” Street chuckled darkly, “She said she’d feel safer. Oh and Hondo I need you to sign a form saying you know about it and I have one for Captain Cortez too.”

“I’m sorry,” Hondo apologized.  _ About everything. That I suggested this. All of it.  _ He didn’t say it, but Street knew what he meant.

“It’s not your fault,” Street said quietly.

“On the bright side,” Deacon said, “Maybe it means she won’t follow you anymore.”

“Or maybe she still will except now she has the power to have you arrested for it,” Luca countered.

“Come on, man,” Tan hissed, elbowing his teammate.

“Sorry,” Luca said when he saw Street glaring at him.

“You tried to keep me away from you,” a voice rang through the hall. The group turned to see Maya sauntering their way, he stilettos clicking against the stone floor as she walked. She passed by Street as she went down the hall, pausing for a moment to caress his chin, “You’re going to wish you hadn’t have done that, baby.”

“You psychotic bitch!” Chris shouted, lunging at the other woman. She had been standing behind Street so fortunately all he had to do to stop her was turn slightly and wrap his arms around her torso.

“I’ll see you around, Jimmy,” Maya warned, ignoring the threat and continuing toward the door.

“I don’t believe this,” Tan said breathlessly once the door shut behind her, “She is insane.”

“The understatement of the year,” Deacon commented.

“Alright, what’s the new game plan?” Luca asked, everyone turning around to face Street and Chris again.

“I don’t have one,” Street said tiredly, “I’m, uh… I’m gonna get a hotel room or something. I need some space for a bit. I’ll see you guys at work tomorrow.”

“I don’t think you should be alone right now-” Luca said, grabbing Street’s arm as he made a move for the door.

“I do!” Street shouted, spinning around and pushing his friend’s hand off him, “I really  _ really  _ need to be alone.”

He wiped his palms on his pants to dry them. His chest was heaving and he was sure he looked frantic but he just couldn’t find it in him anymore to keep up his composure.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And then he hurried down the hall, disappearing into the sunlight that streamed through the open door. He found himself at the nearest Motel 6. He booked himself a room and once he was inside, he locked the deadbolt and turned the swing bar lock at the top of the door, then shut the curtains tight. He didn’t bother to turn on the light. Street stiffly walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, leaning onto this elbows as he pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes until it hurt. Water leaked down his wrists and he realized he was crying.

The quiet in the room was broken when his phone started ringing. He ignored it until it went away but the second time it went of he couldn’t stand the sound anymore. He cried out in anger and ripped his phone out of his pocket, rising from his seat and throwing it with all his might into the wall. The crash and the glass shattering as it hit the carpet with a dull thud wasn’t nearly as satisfying as he had hoped it would be. And a small voice in the back of his head was concerned about having to buy a new phone now but, at that moment, he couldn’t care less. He went back to the bed and pulled back the covers, climbing in, leaving his suit and shoes on. He pulled the tie off and tossed it aside and then he pulled the blankets up over his head, curling up in a ball. It was still early in the afternoon but all he wanted was to go to sleep, to escape the hell that his life had become for just a little while, but instead, he found himself lying there as the tears refused to stop flowing down his cheeks.

Once the tears had dried, he drifted off to sleep, followed by cruel dreams of Maya finally enacting her revenge for all the mistakes he’s made.


	3. Chapter 3

A soft thudding sound echoed throughout the training room in the precinct as Street repeatedly slammed his taped fists into the punching bag. Sweat was dripping down his face and his chest was heaving as he beat out his anger into the inanimate object. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet and minimal light filtered through the windows. Enough that he hadn’t needed to turn on the lights, but it was still dark in the room. It was too early for anyone else to have arrived yet and he doubted most of his coworkers were even awake yet.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been at it, just that his arms were starting to burn when a light in the corner flipped on. He paused, placing one of his palms flatly on the bag to stop it swinging, and turned his head to see who had entered.

“Hey, kid,” Hondo greeted, dropping his gym bag on the edge of the boxing ring, “What are you doing here so early?”

“I could ask you the same question,” Street huffed, unwrapping the tape from his knuckles as he headed towards Hondo.

“I wanted to get a few hits in before work,” Hondo shrugged, sitting down on the edge of the ring and taking his own roll of sports tape from his bag, “Your turn.”

Street sighed, dropping down beside his boss and leaning forward onto his knees, “I couldn’t sleep, so I came here.”

Hondo nodded, “This has been going on for a while?”

“Yea,” Street admitted.

“When you first started staying with me, you were never up before me,” Hondo joked.

Street snickered quietly. He should’ve figured that would be a dead giveaway. Although he did appreciate that Hondo was only bringing it up now, even though Street had been staying with him for months. It occurred to him that maybe him being gone when Hondo woke up this morning could have worried the other man and that that was really why Hondo was here this early. Looking for him.

“You haven’t seen her lately, right?” Hondo asked after the conversation lulled for a moment.

“Nope,” Street said, shaking his head, “Not since the courthouse. It’s been three months and nothing.”

“Then what’s been eating at you?”

Street sighed, looking down at his thumbs as he fiddled with them in his lap, “The longer she’s gone, the more worried I get that she’s planning something. The last thing she said to me was that I’d be sorry. That’s not exactly comforting.”

“That’s all?” Hondo asked, giving Street a look, “You just always seem more on edge after those damn meetings.”

“Well, uh…” Street coughed, “It’s kind of draining being around those men is all.”

“I get it,” Hondo said quietly, “How’s it going anyway?”

“I have to share, or else the instructor won’t pass me. So I have to go along with her lies and tell everyone I did all of those things.”

“Man,” Hondo scoffed, shaking his head, “Insane doesn’t even begin to describe this chick.”

“I’m so stupid,” Street said, dropping his face into his hands.

“Hey, now, don’t talk like that,” Hondo chastised, “You couldn’t have seen this coming. That’s what makes people like that so dangerous. You don’t know what you’re in until you’re already in deep.”

“Too deep to climb back out,” Street said, lifting his head to look at Hondo.

“Never,” Hondo promised, “We’re here. And we have a ladder.”

Street snorted a laugh, “Well, thank you.”

“No problem,” Hondo chuckled, “Now come on, we have some time to grab some food before our shift starts. Rocker left a pot of chili in the breakroom.”

As Hondo stood to leave, putting his tape away in his bag, training session forgotten, for now, Street pulled a face behind him, “Chili for breakfast?”

“Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it,” Hondo smiled, “Let’s go.”

 

The meetings at the batterer’s intervention program were only an hour long but every time he went it felt like the longest hour of his life. And he had to do this two times a week. For six months. At least he was halfway through already. He just had to focus on showing enough ‘improvement’ to make the instructor happy, or else the court would make him retake it.

He sat in his usual seat in the back corner, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Anybody who had tried to speak to him when the course began had realized quickly that he wasn’t interested in making friends and everyone generally avoided him now.

The man sharing present had finally made a breakthrough after months of insisting that the misogynistic thoughts he harbored regarding his wife deserving the beatings he gave her because she was somehow lesser than him were correct. Now, he was sitting in a seat in the front sobbing. Street couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He managed to resist the disdainful sigh that threatened to escape, however.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want the man to see the error of his ways, it just wasn’t possible. And if he was being honest with himself, he was probably biased in the situation, but he really didn’t think that these people could change. The belief they had that their wives and their girlfriends were somehow lesser beings or meant to serve them were ingrained in them. The few who had openly admitted to beating their children were beyond redemption. And the one that had said he hit his mother with a fire poker was definitely messed up in the head.

He felt like he had fallen into his own personal circle of hell. Forced to socialize with the type of people he hated most in this world. The type of people that he apparently would never be able to escape. What was it about him, he wondered, that drew them into his life?

All this pondering of course meant that he had zoned out and so didn’t hear when the instructor called on him.

“Jim!” Steve shouted, causing Street to startle slightly in his seat, jumping back to attention.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, sitting up, “What?”

“It’s your turn to share,” Steve said patiently, but he could tell that hard-won patience was wearing thin. Maybe good ole’ Steve didn’t believe he could redeem these men as much as he said he could.

“About what?”

Steve sighed and placed his thumb and forefinger over the bridge of his nose, “Tell us how you’ve expanded on Tuesday’s discussion.”

“I have…” Street answered slowly, trying to think up something, “realized that I should not have punched my girlfriend.”

This stuff was hard to make up.

“That’s it?” Steve asked tiredly, “Have you spoken to her or tried to make amends?”

“She has a restraining order!”

“Loud is not allowed,” Steve said slowly, “Repeat after me. Loud is not allowed.”

“Loud is not allowed,” Street grumbled.

“Thank you,” Steve said, “Amends is definitely a goal to have. Maybe once you pass this program, consider trying to reach out, legally of course, and asking for forgiveness.”

“I will take that into consideration,” he said, forcing a smile.

If this was his own personal hell, then this was his torture.

 

After the meeting, he put his jacket on as fast as he could and then made a rush for the door. He was fairly certain that nobody would try to talk to him, but he liked to get out as fast as he could just in case.

When he pushed open the church’s heavy wooden door to step into the cold night air, because of course this was held in a church, he stopped short on the top of the stairs when he noticed a woman standing in the middle of the sidewalk. She had a yellow duffle coat on and a maroon beanie, her chestnut hair blowing loosely in the wind. Her hands were in her pockets to keep warm as she waited patiently at the bottom of the staircase.

“Maya,” he greeted curtly.

“Don’t be shy, baby,” she smiled, “Come here.”

Looking swiftly over his shoulder to make sure nobody was watching, he jogged quickly down the steps. He stopped about a foot away from her, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

“What do you want?” he whispered harshly.

“I wanted to see how you were enjoying your punishment,” Maya said sweetly, “Have you calmed down yet?”

“So tormenting me is just some twisted form of punishment to you?!” he asked angrily.

“Apparently you haven’t,” she sighed, “And, yes, Jimmy. After the way you behaved, I think I’m justified. Well… it serves a double purpose.”

“Justified in ruining my life?” he hissed, “I was on probation at work not that long ago and now I am again. Apparently, that’s what happens when you have to attend a court-ordered batterer’s program! I could lose my job! I can’t live in my own home anymore because of you!”

“About that,” she said, holding up a finger, “Hiding from me. That was rude.”

“Wait… that’s why you suggested I take this course? So you’d know where I was?!”

“Well, you took away my way of finding you when you decide to act like an infant. And then you decided to hide at one of your friend’s houses. I can’t call you anymore. What else was I supposed to do?”

“Maya!”

“No, baby, listen,” she chastised, “It’s our one year anniversary tomorrow. Remember? And I have a surprise planned for you. Whether it’s good or bad all depends on you.”

Street regarded her silently. She looked so… normal. No giveaways that she was psychotic. No warning signs of how vindictive she could be. He realized then that his team was right. He couldn’t have seen this coming. For the same reason that the judge didn’t believe him. She was a manipulator and she was good at it. It was a game to her, whether or not she consciously realized she was playing one. It was her bread and butter and he didn’t know how to beat her at it. The best he could think of was to not play. At least then he wouldn’t be helping her dig his own grave.

“Maya,” he said desperately, “Haven’t you done enough? You’ve taken away almost everything. Even my peace of mind. I haven’t felt safe for a moment in a year now. You win. I don’t want to play this game anymore.”

Maya stared at him for what felt like an eternity, her face a stone-cold mask. Finally, anger clouded her eyes and her nostrils flared, only for a brief moment. Then it was gone, and a cool collected composure crossed her face as she crossed the small space between them. He backed up swiftly, halting when his back slammed into the stone pillar at the bottom of the steps. She kept moving until she was flush up against him, reaching out the to grab the collar of his jacket.

“You think my heart is just a game?” she whispered dangerously, “Am I just a joke to you?”

“Maya-”

“No,” she said calmly, “I loved you, Jimmy. I devoted myself to you for an entire year of my life that I can never get back. You were everything to me, and you robbed me of that. So… I think, in regards to you,  _ almost _ everything won’t do.”

She raised her hands to thread her fingers through his hair, pulling his head down to kiss him. It surprised him at first but, once his head caught up with everything, he brought his hands up between them and shoved her away from him. She didn’t stumble, merely moved with the momentum. Once she stopped, she pulled the hem of her jacket down to straighten it.

“This was nice, Jimmy. I wish we could have worked out. I used to see myself marrying you one day. But I guess we sometimes let our delusions get the best of us. Thank you for opening my eyes.”

Maya turned to walk away, but he ran after her.

“What are you going to do?” he called.

She turned on him swiftly, causing him to stumble backward a couple of steps.

“What I should have done a long time ago. What’s that saying again?” she asked, smiling sweetly at him, “If I can’t have you…”

And then she was gone, leaving him standing in the middle of the sidewalk staring after her. He was seriously considering calling in sick to work tomorrow.

 

The next morning he let Hondo drive him to work. He was jittery the entire car ride and he knew that his boss noticed but was polite enough not to say anything. When they arrived at the front gate, he saw the others heading inside just ahead of them. He jogged to catch up to them.

“You guys haven’t seen Maya lately have you?” he whispered conspiratorily, checking over his shoulder to make sure nobody could hear him.

“Uh… no,” Chris said, concerned suddenly, “Why? Did she contact you?”

Street nodded, “She was outside my meeting last night. I think she’s planning something.”

“What kind of something?” Deacon asked.

“I don’t know,” Street shrugged, “But it can’t be good.”

“Officer Street.”

The group turned their heads quickly to see Captain Cortez standing in the doorway.

“I need to speak with you. My office.”

If anyone had asked him, he would have sworn that his heart stopped. The team exchanged worried glances before Street reluctantly headed toward the captain.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Captain, can I-” Hondo started.

“Privately,” she clarified, giving Hondo a pointed look before the pair disappeared into the building.

 

Jessica shut the door to her office once they were inside, passing by him to stand next to her desk.

“Please, sit,” she said, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of her desk.

He moved forward from his place by the door and stopped beside the proffered chair, his hands clasped in front of him, “I’d prefer to stand.”

“You know what this is about, don’t you?”

“I have a vague idea,” he admitted.

“A police report was filed against you this morning. Maya Vanbrock has accused you of raping her,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“Wait...wha-”

“You’re suspended.”

“Hold on!” he said, “You know I wouldn’t-”  
“What I know or what I believe is irrelevant. A criminal case has been opened in your name and I am required, by law, to suspend while it’s underway.”

“Please tell me you don’t believe her,” Street begged.

Cortez sighed, glancing down at her feet briefly, “I don’t,” she swore.

Street took a deep breath and looked steadily at his captain, “What happens now?”

“Now, we conduct an investigation to see if the allegations are true. The fact that there is no evidence is the reason you’re not under arrest,” Cortez explained, then she paused for a moment before continuing, “I recognize her name from that restraining order I had to sign a few months ago. I think it’s time you explain to me exactly what is going on. The more I know, the more I can help.”

Street sighed, finally deciding to sit down, “She’s my ex-girlfriend.”

“You’ve told me that much already,” Cortez said, sitting down on the front of her desk, “I’m gonna need more.”

“It wasn’t a good relationship,” he said bluntly, “She was… manipulative and eventually she got violent. So I broke it off with her. But she didn’t like that and she started following me. Hondo had the idea that I try to get a restraining order, but the judge didn’t believe me and Maya filed one against me in retaliation. She’s the one who suggested I have to take that program. Ever since we broke up, she’s been threatening to come to you and tell you I hurt her. But I didn’t expect this…”

“Why is she so angry all of a sudden? That she’d go from simply stalking you to putting you in jail?” Cortez asked.

“Each time I reject her she gets angrier. She broke into my house and trashed it just before I filed the restraining order. Today is, to her anyway, our one year anniversary. She found me last night and I had to turn her away again. I think it pushed her over the edge.”

“She’s unstable,” Cortez concluded.

“Yeah,” Street said breathlessly, “That’s a word for it.”

“Do you have any evidence of any of this?”

“Some, but it wasn’t enough to convince the last judge.”

“No,” she agreed, “But it could be enough to get this case dropped. If I can show that she’d have cause to file a false report.”

“Really?” he asked hopefully.

“I’ll try my best,” Cortez promised, “But in the meantime, you can’t be here. You have to go home. I need your badge and your gun.”

Street nodded solemnly, rising from his seat. He did as she asked, handing the objects to her and watching as she set them on her desk.

“You’ll have them back soon,” she swore.

“Thanks, Captain,” he said.

“Just get me that evidence,” she said, “And, please, watch your back.”

“I will,” he promised.

He left Cortez’s office and trudged down the hallway, heading toward the locker room to grab anything he might need between now and whenever he’d be allowed back on the job. When he got there, the rest of the team was in there already getting their gear on. They all paused what they were doing when they saw him enter the room.

“So?” Hondo asked, stepping towards his teammate, “What is it?”

“I’m suspended,” Street said angrily as he unlocked his locker, grabbing his duffle bag and shoving some of his stuff inside.

“What?!” Luca, Tan, and Chris all exclaimed in unison.

“What happened?” Deacon asked.

Street dropped his bag on the floor, turning to face his teammate, “Maya filed charges against me. She says that I raped her.”

“Oh my God,” Chris whispered.

“I am off-duty until further notice while they conduct a criminal investigation. If they don’t find anything, then I can come back.”

“They won’t find anything,” Luca assured him, “This is bullshit!”  
Street nodded stiffly, bending down to pick up his bag. He slammed his locker and started for the door.

“I’ll see you guys later.”

“Kid, wait,” Hondo called after him. He took the key to his apartment off his key ring and handed it to Street, “Here, so you can let yourself in. Go home and stay there until we get off. She’s going off the deep end. We have no way of knowing what she’ll do.”

“Thanks,” he said quietly, taking the key with a small smile, “I will.”

The next few weeks passed so slowly that he could have sworn it was years that had passed. He stopped leaving the apartment. Chris and Luca tried to invite him out places but it quickly became clear to them that he wasn’t going anywhere, so they started coming over to Hondo’s and hanging out there. He wasn’t much fun whenever they did. They’d usually end up picking a movie and the four of them would sit on the couch together and watch it. Sometimes Tan and Deacon joined too. If it had been his own home, he would have just hidden out in his room and avoided them. But he didn’t have the luxury of living in his own home anymore and the couch was where he slept, so he was stuck hanging out with everybody until they decided to leave.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his friends. He did. He really did. Not working with them anymore, he missed seeing them every day. But he felt tired and drained, like all of the energy in his body had been sucked out. The part of him that was still able to joke around told him that this was Maya too. She was a witch. He probably wasn’t too far off.

The only time he ever left Hondo’s apartment was to go to those damn batterer’s meetings. Since Maya was apparently using the meetings as a means of finding him, Hondo insisted on driving him and picking him up. And, on the days that Hondo couldn’t, Chris would too.

“I’m worried about you, Street,” Chris said one night as she drove him to the church.

“Mmhmm,” he mumbled, his head leaning against the window as he watched the streetlights pass.

“Everything’s going to turn out okay. You know that right?” she asked, and he saw her glance at him briefly out of the corner of his eye.

“Forty-eight,” he said.

“What?” she asked, confused by his sudden change of topic.

“This program is twenty-four weeks. And I have to go to two one-hour sessions a week. That’s forty-eight hours total. That means, by the time it’s over, I will have spent two whole days of my life listening to abusive assholes defend their actions to each other. Refusing to admit they were wrong because they are so confident in their hatred that they can never let go.”

Chris was quiet for a long time and he was starting to think that maybe he had scared her off the meaningful chat she was clearly trying to have.

“Man, you’ve gotten dark,” she mused lightly.

“I prefer to think that I’ve become enlightened,” he said sarcastically.

“Is that what you call it?”

Street sighed, sitting up in his chair, “I’ve been having trouble finding the reason why I should keep fighting lately,” he admitted.

“Let me help you,” Chris offered, “Come out with us the next time we go to the bar.”

“No.”

“Street-”

“This… this woman that I used to think I could love…” he said, pausing briefly after that admission, “has taken my life away from me. I can’t go to work. I can’t go home. I can’t even go anywhere by myself anymore apparently. She has taken my life, but I’m not dead.”

Chris was quiet again, tensely, nervously quiet.

“Do you wish you were?” she said eventually.

“No,” he answered, “But sometimes I think it might be nice.”

They reached the church and Chris pulled up to the curb in front and parked her truck. She killed the engine and turned in her seat to like at him.

“No, it wouldn’t be,” she said firmly, “For you. For me. For any of us. Do you understand?”

When he looked at her, he was surprised to see tears brimming in her eyes. He chastised himself for making her so upset.

“I’m sorry, Chris,” he said earnestly.

“I don’t want any apologies,” she answered, “I want you to promise me that if you ever get that line of thought in your head again, you will call me. I don’t care what time of day it is. Promise me.”

“Chris, I wouldn’t hurt my-”

“Promise me,” she repeated, louder than before.

“I promise.”

“Thank you,” Chris said, leaning back, “Now, go. You’re going to be late.”

Street gave his friend a little smile and briefly pat her shoulder before he opened the door and hopped out of the truck. He zipped up his jacket to keep out the cold and stared up at the double wooden doors for a minute, briefly considering not going inside. But a still, small voice in the back of his head that kind of sounded like Chris told him he’d only make things worse if he didn’t go. So he heaved a deep breath and trudged miserably up the steps, mentally preparing himself for the next hour.

Chris picked him up again afterward, only this time she didn’t try to start any conversations. She just drove him back to Hondo’s apartment building in silence. He slid off his seat out of the truck, said a quick goodnight, and headed towards the staircase. Hondo’s apartment was on the second floor and, since the building was only two stories anyway, they didn’t bother putting in an elevator. Instead, the building had a stairwell in the middle of it. The door to the stairwell was already open, held that way by a brick someone had lain on the floor. It wasn’t unusual for one of the neighbors to do that, so he didn’t pay any mind to it. Once he was about halfway up the steps, the sound of a glass bottle rolling echoed around the space. He stopped, leaning over the railing to get a clearer view of the door. Seeing nobody, he continued on his way.

Just as he reached the top step, a figure suddenly rushed out in front of him before there was a sharp pain in his chest as something hard slammed into him and he fell backward down the stairs. He tumbled down the flight, his body slamming into the back wall of the landing, the back of his head cracking into it.

A bright white light blinded him as his vision swam. When it came back, a searing pain engulfed what felt like his entire skull. He brought a hand up to the source at the back of his skull, yanking his hand back when his fingers grazed the sensitive area. Bringing his hand around in front of him, he saw blood coating his fingers.

Groaning in pain, he looked up to the top of the stairs. The shadow stepped down a few steps and into the light, revealing Maya standing over him, a baseball bat held tightly in her hands.

“Maya?” he asked, confused. It felt like everything was in slow motion and his brain was having trouble keeping up.

“Hi, baby,” she smiled, but the facade of cheerfulness had been abandoned. 

As she kept coming down the stairs, everything sped up again and it occurred to him that he needed to move. Reaching his arm up behind him to grab onto the metal railing screwed into the wall, he pulled and heaved himself to his feet, doubling over when pain erupted in his chest. He wrapped his free arm around his torso and held on tight to the rail as a wave of dizziness came over him. Maya didn’t let him get far, swinging the bat once more, this time at his legs. The weapon collided head-on with his left shin, sweeping his leg out from under him as a loud crack echoed in the stairwell. He cried out as he fell, losing his grip on the railing.

Even through the fog that had taken hold of his brain, he knew he had to react. He quickly rolled over onto his back and the next time she swung the bat, he put his hands out and grabbed onto it. He ripped it from her hands, bringing it around to knock her feet out from under her, and threw it down the next flight of stairs. It flew out the doorway, skittering across the cement and out of sight.

She didn’t stay down for long, pushing herself back up onto her feet. She growled in anger, rearing back and kicking him squarely in the stomach. He placed his elbows on the ground in an attempt to drag himself out of the way.

“Maya!”

The pair both looked up to the top of the stairwell when they heard the shout. Hondo was standing in the doorway, his gun drawn on Maya. Street took the opening and rolled back against the wall, bringing his legs up and kicking her in her midsection, sending her rolling backward down the last flight of stairs. Hondo ran down the steps to the landing, standing in front of Street and keeping his weapon trained on the woman. She groaned in pain and she got to her knees, rubbing the shoulder she had landed on.

“Stay right there!” Hondo warned, stepping forward to the edge of the landing.

Maya smiled, moving forward. She didn’t get very far. Chris came into view, the discarded bat in her hands, and slammed it into the back of Maya’s knees, toppling the other woman over. When she started to get back up, Chris bent down and decked her on the side of the head, knocking her unconscious. The bat clattered against the cement as Chris dropped it, taking a deep breath and smiling up at the men on the stairs.

“I’ve wanted to do that for months,” she said breathlessly. Then she saw Street and started running up the steps, “Oh shit!”

He was grabbing onto the railing again, trying to pull himself to his feet. But his motor skills weren’t the best at the moment and putting weight on his left leg caused his vision to grey out again and he fell back to the floor.

Hondo quickly holstered his weapon and knelt down beside his teammate, “Hey, stay down. Alright? I’m gonna call an ambulance.”

Chris dropped down onto her knees beside Hondo, leaning forward to get a closer look at her friend. She reached a hand up and gently tilted his head forward.

“That doesn’t look good,” she muttered, looking to Hondo for direction.

“Stay with him,” Hondo ordered, rising to his feet. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911. He walked down the steps, presumably to keep an eye on Maya and to be in sight when the ambulance arrived. Street could hear him talking to the dispatcher but wasn’t fully aware enough to register what he was saying.

“Street,” Chris called, “Hey, eyes on me. Focus.”

“Hmm?” he asked, turning his eyes to her face.

“How many fingers am I hold up?” she asked, holding her hand in front of his face.

“Ssssix?” he answered, hearing his voice slur slightly.

“Um… no,” Chris said.

“Everything is spinning. I don’t feel good,” he mumbled before he leaned forward onto his hands and threw up on the first few steps in front of him. Luckily, Chris moved out of the way in time.

“Jesus,” she said, looking at the side of his head, “Your ears are bleeding.”

“Is that bad?” he asked once he was finished.

“No, it’s fine,” Chris answered swiftly.

“Are you lying?” he asked.

Hondo came back in then, “They’re on their way.”

“Can they reach him up here?” Chris asked, turning around to face her boss.

“Probably. But let’s save them some time.”

Hondo jogged back up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He reached down and grabbed onto Street’s left arm, lifting it and putting it around his shoulder. It pulled on his aching chest and a new wave of pain radiating out. He couldn’t hold back a groan of pain.

“Sorry, kid. We gotta get you down there,” Hondo said, “Chris, grab his other arm.”

Chris obeyed, getting on his other side and doing the same. Together they hoisted him onto his feet. He tried desperately not to put any weight on his left leg, but it was difficult given that he only had two legs and so each step was agony. The group wobbled slightly with Street presently being unable to walk straight.

When they reached the bottom, the urge to throw up started working its way up his throat again. 

“Down,” he said suddenly, “Down.”

He yanked his arms free from their grip and fell onto his hands and knees, retching on the floor. After a moment he stopped and Chris bent down and put her hands under his armpits, dragging him back to lean him against the wall.

“Street?” Hondo asked, looking him in the eye, “You will us?”

Street took a few short, quick breaths, his eyes darting back and forth wildly, “Where am I?”

“My apartment,” Hondo answered slowly.

“But… we’re… Are we outside?”

“Yes, Street. We’re outside,” Chris said carefully, “Can’t you tell?”

“I don- I don’t knnnow?” he slurred, “Everything is blurry. I’m tired.”

“No,” Chris commanded, “Stay awake. Here, squeeze my hand.”

She placed his left hand in hers and held on, squeezing tighter when he didn’t immediately return the action.

“I can’t move my hand,” he chuckled, “Is- Isn’t that weird?”

Chris looked back at Hondo, fear etched into her face, “When did they say they’d be here?”

“Fifteen minutes,” Hondo answered solemnly.

Street didn’t hear what Chris said next as his vision swam, and disappeared completely as he lost the consciousness he had tenuously been clinging to.

 

Bright light shining into his eyes slowly woke him up. It felt like the rays were piercing him as a headache suddenly flared. When it faded away and his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked around and took in his surrounding. The first thing he registered was the steady beeping of a heart monitor, and that was when his eyes caught up and he realized he was in a hospital bed. The chair beside his bed was occupied by a sleeping figured, curled up with her legs underneath her, her head resting on her shoulder.

“Chris?” he asked, hearing his voice grate roughly in the back of his throat.

“You’re awake!” Luca shouted, causing the man in question to flinch as his headache flared back up again. He hadn’t even realized anyone else was in the room.

“Luca, keep your voice down,” Hondo admonished. Luca muttered a quiet apology.

“What happened?” Street asked, looking between the two men.

“You don’t remember?” Hondo asked.

Street racked his brain for a minute, but he quickly realized he didn’t remember anything past Chris dropping him off at his meeting. He silently shook his head.

“Maya attacked you, man,” Luca said, “With a frickin’ baseball bat.”

“Really?!” Street asked.

“Yea, you were out for two days. She really messed you up.”

Street looked to Hondo urgently.

“They don’t think there’s any permanent damage. She fractured your skull and there was some bleeding, but the doctor’s said it went down. You’re gonna be out of commission for a while though. She also broke two of your ribs and your tibia in your left leg.”

“Where is she?” Street asked, “Did… did she…?”

“She’s in custody,” Hondo answered firmly, “And she’s not getting out. There are surveillance cameras in the stairwell. There isn’t any way she can talk her way out of this one.”

Street breathed a deep sigh of relief, “Oh, thank God.”

Chris stirred then, slowly raising her head and blinking a few times. When she realized he was awake, she surged forward and wrapped him in a hug, still being careful not to further hurt his ribs.

“You’re okay!” she exclaimed, but she remembered to keep her voice low, “I was so worried!”  
“Chris saved your ass, you know,” Hondo chimed in, a cheesy grin on his face.

“Did you really?” Street asked as Chris pulled back. She gave him a shy smile.

“I prefer to think of it as my own personal brand of therapy.”

“She’s got a mean swing,” Hondo joked.

Street looked at her, astonished, “You didn’t!”  
“Oh, I did,” she laughed, “I totally did. It felt so good.”

Street laughed too, stopping quickly when pain erupted in his chest, “Okay. Ow. Don’t make me laugh.”

The doctor arrived soon, once he heard his patient was awake and explained the situation to Street. The bleeding in his brain had stopped on its own and the fracture was not depressed, so he hadn’t needed any surgery. Apparently, his brain had actually been leaking cerebrospinal fluid and that had been why his ears were bleeding, and why he would have bruises right behind his ears for the next weeks. His tibia was completely broken, but it was clean and the bones were still in place, so that should heal nicely on its own. And his ribs shouldn’t be a concern since the bones didn’t separate.

“Basically, you should be just fine in a few months,” the doctor summed things up, “You might experience some residual speech impediments or coordination issues. I’m counting on any problems disappearing with time, but if it persists just give me a call. And it’s hit or miss as to whether your memory will return, but that should be about it. I want to keep you here for observation for a few days, just to be sure there isn’t any more serious damage than we’re anticipating. But, barring no complications, you should be good to go then.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Street said.

The doctor nodded, “The nurse will be by in a bit with more morphine. I’m sure it’ll be wearing off soon. And we’ve been giving you anticonvulsants to prevent seizures. They’re very common when the skull is fractured.”

He shook Hondo’s hand when he offered it, said a quick farewell to the other occupants of the room, and then disappeared into the hallway.

“You got lucky,” Luca commented.

Street stared after the doorway and just nodded silently. Soon Tan and Deacon showed up, Luca having called them after Street woke up. Captain Cortez was with them. She had apparently been in the room when they got the call and insisted on tagging along.

“This is finally over?” Tan asked happily when he entered the room.

“Almost,” Hondo answered, “He’s got to get healed up first.”

“But Maya is done,” Deacon said firmly.

“Speaking of which,” Cortez said, walking up to Street’s bed, “I have good news. The charges against you were dropped and the judge that ordered the program says you don’t have to finish it. In light of recent events, and with what Maya has said since she’s been in police custody, they realized she made everything up.”

“Really?” Street asked excitedly.

Cortez smiled, “Judge Hasselcorn sends her sincerest apologies.”

Luca clapped his hands, whooping in excitement, “Yea! That’s awesome!”  
Cortez laughed before turning back to Street, “You can return back to work as soon as the doctors clear you, Officer.”

The other members of his team cheered from where they stood behind their boss. He was so happy that the headache it caused didn’t even bother him. Cortez said her goodbyes after that, she couldn’t stay away from work for long, but the team could stay. It was their day off anyway. Deacon and Tan had apparently only been at the precinct for the extra hours. They all hung out in the hospital for the rest of the day, Luca leaving only to go find some board games. The nurse came by at some point to give Street the morphine that was promised when his myriad of broken bones started hurting again. The team agreed he was more fun to hang out with when he was high.

“You won’t be saying that when I kick your asses at monopoly,” he joked.

 

Three days later he was released from the hospital. With Maya in police custody, he was finally able to go back home. They sent him home with crutches, but he still needed to lean on Luca and Chris as they walked up the front lawn. He didn’t have any speech problems, but the doctor had been right about some lasting coordination issues and the fact that one leg was out of commission didn’t help. If it wasn’t gone by the end of the week, he was supposed to make an appointment with the doctor.

A week after that, he was able to walk by himself on the crutches to testify at Maya’s trial. It was hard seeing her again, even though it was only from across the room. She refused to look at him and he was thankful for that.

The team was there to support him, sitting beside him the pews. The state called him up to testify and he stood slowly, making his way to the seat beside the judge’s bench, keeping his head held high. He related the events as best he could, but his memory still hadn’t returned of the assault. He was able to relate everything else that had happened in the course of their relationship though. The more intimate details were kept to himself. He still hadn’t told his teammates that she used to manipulate him into sleeping with her and he didn’t plan to. They knew enough and he felt their support regardless of how many details they knew. But the vase, the stalking, the lies. That he was happy to share with the court.

The defense tried their usual tricks on the cross-examination. If what he said was true, why hadn’t he said anything sooner? Why did he stay with her for so long? They even tried to paint her attacking him with that bat as self-defense, claiming her rape accusations were true. It didn’t phase him though, and it didn’t look like it was phasing the jury. He was the one with the fractured skull, the doctor to prove it, and the video footage to confirm the story.

Chris and Hondo were called to relay the part of the attack that they had played a part in. Soon the trial was over and the court was adjourned while the jury made their decision. The group sat nervously on a bench in the hallway. Street was tapping his right foot repeatedly against the linoleum, tearing at the silicone padding on the armrest on his crutches.

“We’ve got her,” Chris assured him from where she sat beside him, “There’s no way a jury could see all of that and not think she’s guilty.”

Street nodded to let her know he was listening, but it didn’t stop him from picking at his crutches. And it didn’t stop Luca from anxiously pacing the hallway.

After fifteen suspense-filled minutes, the jury was back with a verdict. The courtroom took their seats and waited patiently. 

“The defendant will rise,” the judge began before turning to the jury, “How do you find?”

The first juror rose from her seat, clenching the verdict in her hands.

“For the charge of felony aggravated battery,” the woman spoke, “we find the defendant guilty.” 

The courtroom erupted as everyone started talking to each other. Street felt the entire team let out a collective gasp of relief. He shut his eyes, leaning his head back against the pew. The judge banged his gavel against the desk.

“Order!” he called, “Moving on the sentencing.”

Maya had collapsed into her seat when she’d heard the sentence but rose again to her feet when her lawyer directed her to do so.

“Miss Vanbrock, given the myriad of other infractions that have been laid out in the testimony here today, and seeing as how I see a high chance of you repeating your actions if not given enough time to cool down, I’m going to give you the maximum sentence for a Class Three felony. I’m sentencing you four years in county jail.”

Street looked at Maya’s face, saw her take a step back as though she’d been slapped. She hadn’t seen this coming and that didn’t surprise him in the slightest. It made this victory all the sweeter.

The court was adjourned and the spectators were ushered out of the room. As he left, he shot one more look at Maya over his shoulder. If he was lucky, this would be the last time he’d ever see her. Chris gently placed a hand on his back and pushed him along.

Once they were outside on the front steps, he stopped and looked up at the clear blue sky, taking a deep breath. The others turn around to see what the hold up was. He just looked at them in shock.

“She’s gone,” he said breathlessly, “It’s been over a year… and it’s over. Just like that.”

He was having trouble believing that this was real. That this wasn’t some cruel dream. That he wasn’t still in the hospital in a coma. For the last year, he had lived under her control. Questioning his every move and even fearing for his life at times. Jumping at every sound. Being pulled down by the weight of her affections.

Chris, bless her heart, she understood. She smiled at him softly, walking back toward him and pulling him into a hug, whispering, “It’s over,” into his ear. He lifted his arms, pulling her closer and holding on for dear life. He buried his face in her shoulder. She was the only safe space he’d had in what felt like an eternity. Soon he felt Luca joining in on the hug, followed by Tan, and Hondo, and eventually Deacon. Picturing what they must have looked like to passers-by made him chuckle to himself, but he didn’t care. He had the only family he had ever known beside him. They would always be beside him, he understood that now.

It would be another three months before he was cleared for active-duty again. And in that time he managed to stop flinching when someone came up behind him. He was able to talk himself into going to the supermarket by himself. He started spending time with his friends outside of work again, going out drinking and bowling and to the movies. Bit by bit, he got his life back and he let go of Maya. The road was bumpy and definitely not easy, but that was okay. At the times where it got too difficult to travel alone, his team would walk beside him.


End file.
